Australian minister visits New Zealand during Pacific trip

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s new foreign minister has made New Zealand the first stop on her third Pacific trip in a month as Canberra steps up efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the region. Foreign Minister Penny Wong is promoting her administration’s stronger ambition on curbing greenhouse gas emissions as evidence that Australia shares the South Pacific’s primary security concern: climate change. Australia formally committed on Thursday to reduce emissions by 43% by the end of the decade. The previous government had pledged to reduce emissions by only 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2030. On Friday, Wong will become the first Australian minister to visit the Solomon Islands since its government signed a security pact with China.