SYDNEY -- Defense chiefs from Australia, New Zealand and other countries with a stake in the South Pacific kicked off their annual meeting Tuesday in Tonga, as Canberra seeks to strengthen cooperation to counter China's influence in the region.
This is the first South Pacific Defense Ministers' Meeting to be held in person since 2019. The framework also includes Chile, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga and France -- which maintains a military presence in its territory of New Caledonia -- and is expected to issue a joint statement as early as Wednesday.
