lowy institute

Pacific Island leaders endorsed a landmark regional policing plan Wednesday at a summit in Tonga, a contentious move seen as an attempt to limit China's security role in the region.

Leaders unveiled a plan to create up to four regional police training centers and a multinational crisis reaction force, backed by $271 million in initial funding from Australia.

Australia unveiled a billion-dollar package to protect the climate-ravaged Great Barrier Reef on Jan. 28, hoping to prevent the vast network of corals from being removed from UNESCO's World Heritage list.