Australia foreign minister touts Tuvalu security, migration pact

Penny Wong, Australia's Foreign Minister, said on Sunday that a security and migration accord inked with Tuvalu demonstrated Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner as it sought to offset China's influence in the Pacific. On Friday, Australia pledged a security guarantee for the tiny Pacific Island nation in response to military threats, to protect it from climate change, and to stimulate migration. Australia, a US ally, has been seeking to strengthen its Pacific standing in the face of a rising China, which recently upgraded a security treaty with the Solomon Islands. "It is about Australia saying to the region…