Fiji and Australia forge new “Ocean of Peace” defense pact

Neena Mae Rayos, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
July 7, 2026

(Photo Courtesy: Mick Tsikas | AP)

AUSTRALIA – Australia and Fiji have forged a historic defense pact—the Ocean of Peace Alliance—marking Fiji’s first mutual defense treaty and Australia’s fourth.

Signed in Suva by Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese and Sitiveni Rabuka, the agreement comes alongside the Vuvale Union, a decade-long economic commitment of over 1 billion Australian dollars ($693 million) to boost Fiji’s infrastructure and development.

“The Ocean of Peace Alliance introduces a mutual defense obligation and there’s no higher obligation than to come to each other’s aid at a time of need,” Albanese said.

Just hours after the treaty signing, Chinese state media reported that a Chinese submarine had test-launched a long-range ballistic missile in the South Pacific—a routine exercise, according to Beijing, but one that Australia called “destabilizing.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong declined to speculate on whether the test was a veiled warning, she noted, “I’ll leave China to speak to its intent.”

Beijing, through spokesperson Mao Ning, urged against “overinterpretation,” insisting the test wasn’t aimed at any country and reaffirming that China’s Pacific engagements respect the sovereignty of island nations.

Rabuka stated, “It does not threaten Fiji’s relationship with China nor Australia’s relationship with China.”

This diplomatic push is part of a broader Australian strategy to reassert its role as the region’s preferred security partner, especially after China’s 2022 defense deal with the Solomon Islands raised alarms about potential military bases.

Albanese is already on a regional tour, heading next to the Solomon Islands to discuss a security review, followed by summits in Brisbane with leaders from Papua New Guinea and Tonga. Meanwhile, Vanuatu recently signed its own security pact with Australia—the Nakamal Agreement—after months of negotiations, a deal Beijing viewed with suspicion.