Janaline, Luke and Glenn ask why Australian Prime Ministers spend so much time with very tiny island countries, and why Australian governments spend so much development aid in the region. Short answer - geography matters. We make the case for development assistance as an investment in global stability and for delivering it in a way that is less colonial and more collaborative (eg ask people what they need). Also Pacific island governments are full of smart people with a clear idea of their national interest and a clear ability to pursue it. Focusing on US-China rivalry totally misses this point.