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AAP
AAP
Politics
Dominic Giannini

Australia hosts Asia forum to tackle trafficking

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, left, and her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi will hold a meeting. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Australia will host key Southeast Asian and Pacific partners to tackle people smuggling, human trafficking and modern slavery.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong will be joined by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi for the eighth Bali process ministerial conference in Adelaide on Friday.

The conference will also have a business forum.

Other attendees include Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, businessman Andrew Forrest and Pak Garibaldi Thohir, the chief executive of major coal exporter Adaro Energy.

Fiji's Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua was in Canberra on Wednesday for a meeting with Defence Minister Richard Marles and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy.

Mr Marles and Senator Wong will meet with their Indonesian counterparts on Thursday.

Kiribati President Taneti Maamau is also due to touch down in Australia following the Pacific nation rejoining a vital regional forum.

Australian diplomats worked behind the scenes with Fiji's new president to bring Kiribati back into the Pacific Island Forum after it quit ahead of the last leaders' meeting.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed Kiribati's return amid concerns about Chinese influence and the suspension of the nation's legal system.

"The Pacific Islands Forum is an important institution. It's one that brings together the countries in our region," he said.

"We had a very positive meeting in Suva last year and there have been positive developments since then with the announcement that Kiribati would be returning to participation in the Pacific Islands Forum."

The Lowy Institute identified the Solomon Islands and Kiribati as the only two Pacific island nations where China has increased foreign aid.

Alarm bells sounded in Canberra when the Solomons signed a policing pact with Beijing and pushed for a regional security agreement.

Protests sparked in the Solomon Islands this week when an anti-China politician was ousted as premier of the Malaita province this week.

Tensions have grown between the province and Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare after he switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.

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