Nanaia Mahuta will meet with Australian counterpart Penny Wong for the first time today.

The meeting will be the latest for Wong, as she shores up Australia's relationships with Pacific under growing pressure from China.

It comes after Jacinda Ardern met with new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney last week.

Otago University international relations expert Robert Patman told Mike Hosking the new Australian government is in a state of high activity.

He says that's because Penny Wong's part of a new government which believes its predecessor has dropped the ball in the Pacific.

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