Fijians will be allowed to work in Australia for up to three years, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Jan. 17, as Canberra expands a regional labour scheme in a bid to win favor with its neighbors amid rising competition from China.
Australia and China are vying for influence in sparsely-populated Pacific island countries that control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean. They both offer cheap loans and grants for infrastructure, but Australia is also seeking to build on cultural ties with its regional neighbors.
