MANILA — Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has appointed Ewen McDonald to head its new Office of the Pacific.
In a news release, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne described the move to establish the office as a reflection of the “Australian government’s commitment to take our engagement with the Pacific to a new level.” Observers pointed to a growing recognition of the Pacific’s role in Australian foreign policy and the need to maintain influence in the region amid increasing Chinese investments as motivating factors.
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