National News
Australia Expands Pacific Taskforce Role to Strengthen Regional Security
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles met with his Pacific counterparts in Viña del Mar, Chile, to discuss expanding the Pacific Response Group (PRG) — a multinational body originally focused on humanitarian disaster response — to include regional stability and security missions.
The PRG currently includes Australia, New Zealand, Chile, France, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Tonga. During the meeting, ministers instructed their defence chiefs to explore the feasibility of broadening PRG’s mandate and establishing a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to allow freer troop deployment and coordination among member nations. Officials said the group could evolve into a rapid-response force capable of handling regional crises.
However, the plan may prove controversial among Pacific nations with security ties to China. Analysts suggest that Australia’s move could be perceived as an attempt to exclude China from regional security affairs, heightening great-power competition and potentially straining Australia’s diplomatic relations with its neighbours.