Australia is considering recruiting Indigenous soldiers from across the Pacific for its defence force amid ongoing talks between political leaders.

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has reiterated the calls following a withdrawal of commitment to the region from the US, with Fiji in favour of Australia's plans to supplement its personnel from Pacific neighbours.

"I would like to see it happen," Mr Rabuka told the press gallery in Canberra.

"Whether Australia does it or not depends on your own policies, (but) we will not push it."

Mr Rabuka said he would not discourage Fijians to take up arms to join forces with the Australians.

He said Fiji could plug Australia's defence force personnel hole on its own while saying Fijian recruitment would also ease social problems associated with growing unemployment in the island country.

"If it's open, (we will offer) the whole lot – 5000 (soldiers)," he said.

"The villages are emptying out into the cities.

"What we would like to do is to reduce those, who are ending up in settlements in the cities and not working, giving way to crime and becoming first victims to the sale of drugs, and AIDS and HIV from frequently used or commonly used needles."

Such action would consolidate the Australian Defence Force's firepower throughout the Pacific sphere during changing times amid China's growing influence over the sovereignty of the Solomon Islands, Kiribati and the Cook Islands.

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James did not rule out the plan coming to fruition, however said Australian citizenship remained a prerequisite for Pacific Islanders looking to join the defence force.

"Even a New Zealander serving in the Australian military has to become an Australian citizen," Mr James said.

"They can start off being an Australian resident, but they've got to be on the path to citizenship.

"They've got to be capable of getting permanent residency in Australia and citizenship, and then you've got to tackle the moral problem – it's pretty hard to ask foreigners to fight for your country when your own people won't do it."

Unlike Samoa's government, who have voiced concern over a brain drain, Papua New Guinea, like Fiji, have made it clear they have soldiers to spare protecting their own borders.

Ross Thompson, a managing director at People In – the largest approved employer across the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, said should a defence recruitment drive goes ahead, PNG nationals would also return home with a wider skill set.

"This would be a brain gain, rather than be a drain on PNG," Mr Thompson said.

Australia has historically built a great bond in defence with Papuan fighters under the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels moniker during the defence of New Guinea at the end of World War II.

Mr Thompson, who was a captain in the Queen's Gurkha Engineers of the British Army, has already spoken with defence personnel on the ground in PNG, who generally welcome the proposal.

"PNG, its population is over 10 million...we're proposing from PNG around 1000 (soldiers) could be recruited every year," he said.