Penny Wong has already made history as both the first Asian-born and openly gay woman to become Australia¡¯s top diplomat. Now she¡¯s quickly confronting the nation¡¯s most difficult geopolitical challenge in decades.
Within days of being sworn in on May 23, Wong ¡ª born to a Chinese Malaysian father ¡ª rushed to Fiji to counter a rare trip to nearby Pacific island countries by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He aimed to sign a sweeping regional deal to entrench Beijing¡¯s influence after reaching a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that may allow naval ships to dock some 2,000 kilometers from Australia¡¯s coast.
A trained lawyer, the 53-year-old Wong said Australian aid wouldn¡¯t come ¡°with strings attached, nor impose unsustainable financial burdens¡± ¡ª a pointed reference to China¡¯s agreements with developing countries around the world. She later said the security of Pacific island nations ¡°needed to be determined by the region¡± and is taking a second trip, this time to Tonga and Samoa on Wednesday.
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