Australian PM’s Private Conversation Captured In Summit Blunder

An unguarded exchange between Australian PM Anthony Albanese and US diplomat Kurt Campbell about a sensitive Pacific policing deal was captured on camera at a regional summit in Tonga.

The conversation, which revealed their enthusiasm over the agreement to create a police training facility and a 200-person crisis force, was an awkward moment at the Pacific Islands Forum.

An off-the-cuff conversation between Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese and US diplomat Kurt Campbell about a sensitive Pacific policing initiative was recorded on camera, leading to some embarrassment at Thursday’s regional summit.

The discussion, which took place at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, revealed their satisfaction with a deal to set up a police training center and a 200-strong crisis response team, aimed at countering Chinese influence.

In a candid exchange captured on camera, PM Anthony Albanese and US diplomat Kurt Campbell discussed a Pacific policing plan, with Campbell praising the deal as “fantastic” and encouraging Australia to take the lead.

Albanese humorously suggested that the US could co-fund the project, which Australia has budgeted $271 million for. The exchange could reinforce Chinese claims that Australia is simply following US directives in the region, focusing on countering Beijing’s influence.

Although Sydney has portrayed the policing initiative as originating from the Pacific Islands, Australia is funding the project and hosting the training facility in Brisbane. When questioned about the candid conversation, Albanese dismissed concerns, stating it was a private chat with his friend Campbell.

Albanese dismissed any concerns about the conversation, suggesting that people interpreting it must be “pretty bored.” He emphasized that the initiative is Pacific-led, driven by regional police ministers who have been discussing it for a year.

China’s Pacific allies, including Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, have expressed worries that the plan is intended to exclude Beijing. Despite China’s failed attempt to secure a region-wide security pact in 2022, it has been supporting Pacific police forces with training and equipment.

Although all members of the forum have endorsed the deal in principle, national leaders will need to determine the extent of their participation.