Australia admits failings in Pacific, vows to counter China’s influence

Australia has admitted it had not focused enough attention on its Pacific neighbourhood but vowed to make “long overdue” amends, amid growing Chinese influence in the region.“I think we would have to accept some criticism,” said Australia’s minister for international development and the Pacific Anne Ruston on Friday. “We have perhaps not put as much attention and effort into our own region as we should of.”In recent months, Ruston has been at the sharp end of trying to fix that – jetting to-and…