German Institute for Global and Area Studies | Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien

Patrick Köllner

Australia and New Zealand's Pacific Policy: Aligned, not Alike

Political Science | 2022

Abstract

Faced with growing Chinese engagement in the Pacific, the two traditional regional powers in that world region, Australia and New Zealand (NZ), unveiled major policy initiatives in the late 2010s. Both Australia’s "Pacific Step-Up" and NZ’s "Pacific Reset" featured substantial increases in terms of development cooperation, diplomatic posts, and high-level exchanges, thus credibly signalling the two allies’ desire to remain partners of first choice for Pacific Island Countries.
Alignment, however, does not mean that Australia's and NZ’s Pacific policies are alike. A paired comparison highlights significant differences with respect to security and migration. I argue that the strong focus in Australia’s Pacific policy on hard security reflects not only the country’s more pronounced military profile and its alliance with the United States but also the country’s greater sense of vulnerability, which derives in part from its geographic and historical linkages with Melanesia. This contrasts with NZ’s more unburdened traditional focus on Polynesia. I then trace the very different Pacific population profiles of the two Australasian states back to NZ’s much greater openness to permanent migration from the region – reflecting both constitutional obligations and the development of distinct migration pathways for Pacific people. These differences are of a structural nature and are bound to shape Australia's and NZ’s policy approaches to the Pacific in the longer term.

Research Project

Recalibrating China Policy: Australia and New Zealand in Comparative Perspective

Regional Institutes

GIGA Institute for Asian Studies

Research Programmes

Global Orders and Foreign Policies

Journal

Political Science

Volume

74

Number

1

Pages

53-74

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/00323187.2022.2064759

Link

https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-83831-6

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

T. +49 40 428874-17 [email protected]

Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Pacific Review | 2021

Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Australia and New Zealand have in recent years been at the forefront of the growing confrontation between the ‘West’ and China. In this article, Patrick Köllner takes stock of and compares the Australian and New Zealand recalibrations of their China policies, highlighting similarities as well as differences.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Signalling in Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific Policy: Foreign Policy Communication in a New Era of Strategic Competition

Cooperation Event | 09/12/2021 - 10/12/2021

Signalling in Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific Policy: Foreign Policy Communication in a New Era of Strategic Competition

Franco-German Observatory on the Indo-Pacific Conference 2021 , Online event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Center for International Studies, SciencesPo Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Rediscovering the Pacific: Possibilities of German Cooperation

GIGA Focus Asia | 4/2023

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The Pacific Islands region is increasingly on Germany’s foreign policy radar. This Focus examines the challenges faced by this world region, takes stock of extant ties with Germany, and discusses possible future key areas of cooperation here.

Oliver Hasenkamp

Associate

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

"Micronexit" Overshadows Golden Anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum

GIGA Focus Asia | 2/2021

"Micronexit" Overshadows Golden Anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum

The Pacific Islands Forum is facing its biggest crisis since its founding 50 years ago. Nearly one-third of its members are to leave the organization in 2022 because their candidate for secretary general was not elected in early 2021. Reforms may help to avert the "Micronexit", but challenges still abound for the Pacific’s premier regional body.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific: the Difference is Migration Policy

Devpolicy Blog | 06/2022

Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific: the Difference is Migration Policy

Patrick Köllner contributed to the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy's Devpolicy Blog, discussing the differences between Australia and New Zealand's Pacific policies in terms of migration.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia's and New Zealand's Pacific Policies

Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr | 18/08/2022

Australia's and New Zealand's Pacific Policies

Organiser: Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

As part of a geopolitical seminar at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College (Führungsakademie) on regional dynamics in the South Pacific, Patrick Köllner spoke about Australia and New Zealand's Pacific policies.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia and New Zealand's Pacific Policy: Aligned, not Alike

Conference | 11/04/2022 - 13/04/2022

Australia and New Zealand's Pacific Policy: Aligned, not Alike

2022 PSA Annual Conference, University of York / hybrid, York Organisers: Political Studies Association, University of York, Sage publishing Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

Patrick Köllner participated in the 2022 annual conference of the UK Political Studies Association in York and gave a talk there exploring differences in Australia and New Zealand's Pacific policies in the areas of security and migration.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Pacific Review | 2021

Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Australia and New Zealand have in recent years been at the forefront of the growing confrontation between the ‘West’ and China. In this article, Patrick Köllner takes stock of and compares the Australian and New Zealand recalibrations of their China policies, highlighting similarities as well as differences.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Signalling in Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific Policy: Foreign Policy Communication in a New Era of Strategic Competition

Cooperation Event | 09/12/2021 - 10/12/2021

Signalling in Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific Policy: Foreign Policy Communication in a New Era of Strategic Competition

Franco-German Observatory on the Indo-Pacific Conference 2021 , Online event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Center for International Studies, SciencesPo Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Rediscovering the Pacific: Possibilities of German Cooperation

GIGA Focus Asia | 4/2023

Rediscovering the Pacific: Possibilities of German Cooperation

The Pacific Islands region is increasingly on Germany’s foreign policy radar. This Focus examines the challenges faced by this world region, takes stock of extant ties with Germany, and discusses possible future key areas of cooperation here.

Oliver Hasenkamp

Associate

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

"Micronexit" Overshadows Golden Anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum

GIGA Focus Asia | 2/2021

"Micronexit" Overshadows Golden Anniversary of the Pacific Islands Forum

The Pacific Islands Forum is facing its biggest crisis since its founding 50 years ago. Nearly one-third of its members are to leave the organization in 2022 because their candidate for secretary general was not elected in early 2021. Reforms may help to avert the "Micronexit", but challenges still abound for the Pacific’s premier regional body.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific: the Difference is Migration Policy

Devpolicy Blog | 06/2022

Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific: the Difference is Migration Policy

Patrick Köllner contributed to the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy's Devpolicy Blog, discussing the differences between Australia and New Zealand's Pacific policies in terms of migration.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia's and New Zealand's Pacific Policies

Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr | 18/08/2022

Australia's and New Zealand's Pacific Policies

Organiser: Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

As part of a geopolitical seminar at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College (Führungsakademie) on regional dynamics in the South Pacific, Patrick Köllner spoke about Australia and New Zealand's Pacific policies.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia and New Zealand's Pacific Policy: Aligned, not Alike

Conference | 11/04/2022 - 13/04/2022

Australia and New Zealand's Pacific Policy: Aligned, not Alike

2022 PSA Annual Conference, University of York / hybrid, York Organisers: Political Studies Association, University of York, Sage publishing Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

Patrick Köllner participated in the 2022 annual conference of the UK Political Studies Association in York and gave a talk there exploring differences in Australia and New Zealand's Pacific policies in the areas of security and migration.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Pacific Review | 2021

Australia and New Zealand Recalibrate their China Policies: Convergence and Divergence

Australia and New Zealand have in recent years been at the forefront of the growing confrontation between the ‘West’ and China. In this article, Patrick Köllner takes stock of and compares the Australian and New Zealand recalibrations of their China policies, highlighting similarities as well as differences.

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

Signalling in Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific Policy: Foreign Policy Communication in a New Era of Strategic Competition

Cooperation Event | 09/12/2021 - 10/12/2021

Signalling in Australia and New Zealand’s Pacific Policy: Foreign Policy Communication in a New Era of Strategic Competition

Franco-German Observatory on the Indo-Pacific Conference 2021 , Online event Organisers: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Center for International Studies, SciencesPo Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner (Speaker)

Prof. Dr. Patrick Köllner

Director of the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies / Vice President

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