Leaders of Pacific Islands endorse joint policing plan
4 months, 1 week ago

Leaders of Pacific Islands endorse joint policing plan

The Hindu  

Pacific Island leaders endorsed a landmark regional policing plan at a summit in Tonga on Wednesday, a contentious move seen as trying to limit China’s security role in the region. “This demonstrates how Pacific leaders are working together to shape the future that we want to see,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The Australian leader made the announcement while flanked by leaders of Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Tonga — a symbolic show of unity in a region riven by competition between China and the U.S. Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, the summit host, said the initiative would tackle emerging threats like organised crime. China’s Pacific allies — most notably Vanuatu and Solomon Islands — had voiced concern that the policing plan represented a “geo-strategic denial security doctrine”, designed to box out Beijing.

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Pacific Islands wait for Trump, wary of climate and China stance
1 month ago

Pacific Islands wait for Trump, wary of climate and China stance

The Hindu  

Pacific island nations at the centre of a strategic rivalry between the U.S. and China that brought infrastructure and funding hope President-elect Donald Trump stays engaged in the region but are wary of competition spilling into confrontation, diplomats say. Papua New Guinea will continue to trade with China, even as U.S. military ties increase, he also told a resources conference …

Pacific Islands wait for Trump, wary of climate and China stance
1 month ago

Pacific Islands wait for Trump, wary of climate and China stance

India Today  

Pacific island nations at the centre of a strategic rivalry between the U.S. and China that brought infrastructure and funding hope President-elect Donald Trump stays engaged in the region but are wary of competition spilling into confrontation, diplomats say. Papua New Guinea will continue to trade with China, even as U.S. military ties increase, he also told a resources conference …

Albanese welcomed by Samoa villagers before celebrating Pacific police initiative, as CHOGM meeting wraps up
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Albanese welcomed by Samoa villagers before celebrating Pacific police initiative, as CHOGM meeting wraps up

ABC  

Anthony Albanese has been mobbed by children in Samoa after being granted a chiefly title in the village of Satapuala, as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting wraps up in the Pacific island nation. Leaders mark first deployment of Pacific Police Support Group After the visit, Mr Albanese joined a host of Pacific leaders to mark the first deployment of …

Pacific bloc backs joint police plan, maintains Taiwan ties
4 months, 1 week ago

Pacific bloc backs joint police plan, maintains Taiwan ties

The Hindu  

Pacific leaders endorsed a major joint policing initiative and rebuffed moves from China's allies to sideline Taiwan on Friday, as they wrapped up a regional summit in Tonga. Security was a focal point at this year's Pacific Islands Forum, an unwieldy bloc of U.S. partners, China friends and states still tied to Taiwan. China's closest Pacific friend, Solomon Islands, also …

China responds furiously as Pacific Islands leaders reject bid to cut Taiwan from bloc meetings
4 months, 1 week ago

China responds furiously as Pacific Islands leaders reject bid to cut Taiwan from bloc meetings

ABC  

China's ambassador to the Pacific has responded furiously after the region's leaders rejected a push from Solomon Islands to stop Taiwan participating in its top diplomatic gathering. But China's ambassador to the Pacific nations, Qian Bo, said the final communique "must be a mistake". China's ambassador to the Pacific nations Qian Bo, pictured here with Tonga's prime minister Siaosi Sovaleni …

Pacific Islands leaders back Australia-funded joint policing plan
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Pacific Islands leaders back Australia-funded joint policing plan

Al Jazeera  

The region-wide plan involves the establishment of four training centres across the Pacific with a hub in Brisbane. Pacific Islands states have backed an Australian-funded regional policing plan to improve training and create a multinational crisis reaction force. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said leaders endorsed the 400 million Australian dollars proposal at their summit in Tonga on Wednesday. “This …

Pacific Islands leaders endorse regional policing initiative in strategic victory for Australia
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Pacific Islands leaders endorse regional policing initiative in strategic victory for Australia

ABC  

Australia has notched a strategic victory in the Pacific after its peak gathering of leaders endorsed a $400 million major new initiative to reshape policing across the region. The federal government has championed the Pacific Policing Initiative, which will set up a major new police training facility in Brisbane and establish a "Pacific Police Support Group" that could be deployed …

UN secretary-general calls on major polluters to show leadership in cutting emissions to prevent Pacific climate catastrophe
4 months, 2 weeks ago

UN secretary-general calls on major polluters to show leadership in cutting emissions to prevent Pacific climate catastrophe

ABC  

United Nations secretary-general António Guterres has implored major polluters and developed nations such as Australia to rapidly cut emissions and phase out coal and gas after meeting Pacific leaders in Tonga, warning the region is on the brink of climate catastrophe. But Pacific climate groups and some Pacific politicians have sharply criticised Australia's climate track record, saying the federal government …

In Tonga's sprawling archipelago, a meeting of Pacific leaders could reshape the region
4 months, 2 weeks ago

In Tonga's sprawling archipelago, a meeting of Pacific leaders could reshape the region

ABC  

Pacific leaders are once again preparing for their biggest meeting of the year, this time in the sprawling island nation of Tonga. Hosting hundreds of politicians, diplomats, officials and journalists from across the Pacific is never an easy task, and this year's Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting will be no exception. Mr Guterres may not want to single out Australia …

Tropical Tug-of-War: China and the West’s Influence Battle in the Pacific
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Tropical Tug-of-War: China and the West’s Influence Battle in the Pacific

The Diplomat  

The verdant islands of the Pacific, often romanticized as serene havens, are the latest battlegrounds in the geopolitical chess match between China and Western powers. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, alongside Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, inaugurated a $36.55 million airstrip funded by New Zealand and Australia. Australia and New Zealand’s involvement in Solomon Islands signifies a concerted …

Solomon Islands PM Manele’s Foreign Visits: More Than a Mere Balancing Act
5 months, 1 week ago

Solomon Islands PM Manele’s Foreign Visits: More Than a Mere Balancing Act

The Diplomat  

Caught in the eye of a geopolitical storm, the Solomon Islands is back in the news, this time over newly elected Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele’s first foreign visits since taking office in May. Manele’s choice to visit Canberra before Beijing elevated hopes held by many that the “more diplomatic” leader values rebalancing Honiara’s foreign policy, which tipped in favor of …

Solomon Islands’ New Government: A Chance to Reset Australia’s Pacific Diplomacy
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Solomon Islands’ New Government: A Chance to Reset Australia’s Pacific Diplomacy

The Diplomat  

The meeting between Solomon Islands’ new Prime Minister Jeremiah Manale and Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles in Honiara on May 21 suggested that the change in leadership in the island nation may have given the two governments an opportunity to reset their relationship. On this front, Marles' trip to Solomon Islands seemed to show that Canberra’s ties with the …

U.S. opens embassy in Vanuatu, latest step in China competition
5 months, 3 weeks ago

U.S. opens embassy in Vanuatu, latest step in China competition

The Hindu  

The United States opened an embassy in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on July 18, the latest U.S. move in a long-running competition with China for influence in the Asia Pacific region. "The opening of the embassy builds upon our efforts to provide more diplomatic presence throughout the region and to engage further with our Pacific neighbors," the U.S. …

Pacific island leaders agree to enhance Japan’s role in the region amid growing China influence
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Pacific island leaders agree to enhance Japan’s role in the region amid growing China influence

Associated Press  

TOKYO — Leaders of 18 Pacific island nations and areas agreed to an enhanced role of Japan in the region’s development while opposing any attempted coercive activity, in a joint declaration adopted at their summit Thursday, as Tokyo seeks greater engagement to counter China’s influence. The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, or PALM, launched under a Japanese initiative in 1997, has …

Australia moves to create new training centre for Pacific police deployed to regional crises, as China looks to strike policing deals
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Australia moves to create new training centre for Pacific police deployed to regional crises, as China looks to strike policing deals

ABC  

In short: Australia is moving to create a large training facility in Brisbane for Pacific islands police officers, who would be deployed in response to regional crises. Australia is moving to create a large training facility in Brisbane for Pacific islands police officers, who would be deployed in response to regional crises. They said it would also reinforce Australia's strategic …

Tonga’s prime minister says he’s open to Chinese help with security support at an upcoming summit
9 months, 1 week ago

Tonga’s prime minister says he’s open to Chinese help with security support at an upcoming summit

Associated Press  

MELBOURNE, Australia — Tonga’s prime minister said on Thursday he is open to Beijing’s offer of security support when the South Pacific kingdom hosts a major regional leaders’ summit, raising concerns in the United States as it strives to counter China’s growing influence. Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said there was nothing to fear from China’s offer to help Tonga host …

Tonga's prime minister says he's open to Chinese help with security support at an upcoming summit
9 months, 1 week ago

Tonga's prime minister says he's open to Chinese help with security support at an upcoming summit

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tonga’s prime minister said on …

New Zealand lobbied French on Solomon Islands-China pact, cables show
10 months, 1 week ago

New Zealand lobbied French on Solomon Islands-China pact, cables show

Al Jazeera  

New Zealand officials hoped French Polynesia and New Caledonia would respond to security pact, documents show. New Zealand diplomats in New Caledonia’s capital Noumea noted in their reports to Wellington that neither French Polynesia nor New Caledonia “is likely to take a public position” on the deal. After a meeting with New Caledonia’s High Commissioner Patrice Faure on March 30, …

Washington's overreaction in Pacific is telling: China Daily editorial
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Washington's overreaction in Pacific is telling: China Daily editorial

China Daily  

Reports that up to a dozen Chinese police officers are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati have again touched a nerve of the China hawks in Washington, obsessed as they are with their zero-sum game and geopolitical rivalry. A US State Department spokesperson warned the Pacific island country on Monday that it should not "import security forces from …

US could lose strategic Pacific islands to China over blocked funding
10 months, 2 weeks ago

US could lose strategic Pacific islands to China over blocked funding

The Telegraph  

United States defence officials have warned the US may lose ground to China if it does not grant funding to vital island nations used by the military in the Pacific. The blocked funding coincides with a concerted drive by Beijing to shift the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region in its favour, including over the sensitive issue of Taiwan’s …

Fuss about policing deal much ado about nothing: China Daily editorial
11 months, 1 week ago

Fuss about policing deal much ado about nothing: China Daily editorial

China Daily  

Pat Conroy, Australia's minister for defense industry and minister for international development and the Pacific, pledged A$35 million in policing assistance to neighboring East Timor on Monday during an official visit. Yet China being in early talks with Papua New Guinea on a potential security and policing deal, following an earlier one with the Solomon Islands, seems to have set …

Seesawing Security Diplomacy in the Pacific
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Seesawing Security Diplomacy in the Pacific

The Diplomat  

The recently announced security agreement between Australia and Tuvalu, and the signing of a security pact by Australia and Papua New Guinea, have been touted as Australian “wins” in its strategic competition against China for influence in the sensitive domain of security cooperation with Pacific island countries. This followed Vanuatu’s requests to water down a security agreement with Australia, Fiji’s …

Pacific Island Countries Blindsided in Climate Conference
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Pacific Island Countries Blindsided in Climate Conference

The Diplomat  

The gridlock and the meager offerings from COP28, this year’s U.N. climate change conference, left many leaders from the Pacific Island states – some of the countries most at risk from climate change and rising sea levels – frustrated. The need for consensus is often a flashpoint of anger directed toward the annual climate meetings, with many onlookers deriding a …

China sending more police, donating equipment including drones to Solomon Islands for Pacific Games
1 year, 2 months ago

China sending more police, donating equipment including drones to Solomon Islands for Pacific Games

ABC  

Concern is mounting in Canberra after Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare announced that China is sending additional police to the country to help provide security for the Pacific Games. Key points: The prospect of a larger Chinese police presence in Solomon Islands will worry Australian officials Australia has sent a sizeable contingent of police and ADF personnel to Honiara, …

US Pacific Policy in China’s Shadow
1 year, 3 months ago

US Pacific Policy in China’s Shadow

The Diplomat  

There has been a flurry of Pacific Islands-related press releases coming out of the United States Department of State this year. On May 22 and 23 alone, the State Department issued four major read-outs: “The United States and Papua New Guinea Sign New Defense Cooperation Agreement,” “U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Dialogue in Papua New Guinea,” “Secretary Blinken Witnesses the Signing …

Australia to send more police to Solomon Islands, extend mission
1 year, 4 months ago

Australia to send more police to Solomon Islands, extend mission

Al Jazeera  

Extended Australian police mission will boost security for the upcoming Pacific Games as well as next year’s general elections. Australia has announced plans to send additional police to the Solomon Islands to boost security for the Pacific Games in November, keeping them there until June to assist with the general elections. The extended Australian police presence, announced on Sunday, comes …

Why are world leaders racing to the Pacific Islands?
1 year, 5 months ago

Why are world leaders racing to the Pacific Islands?

Al Jazeera  

It’s not just the US and China. China’s recently reappointed Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited in June 2022, at the end of a trip to eight Pacific Island nations, while the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed this May. A decades-long conflict between Indonesia’s military and separatist rebels in Papua, a province that borders Papua New Guinea, has …

Solomon Islands says China to assist with policing, cybersecurity
1 year, 5 months ago

Solomon Islands says China to assist with policing, cybersecurity

Al Jazeera  

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says China’s police will add to support provided by Australia and New Zealand. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Solomon Islands’ opposition party have called for Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to “immediately” publish details of the policing deal signed in Beijing on Monday, amid concern it will invite further regional contest. In a statement on …

China signs pact with Solomon Islands to boost cooperation on ‘law enforcement and security matters’
1 year, 6 months ago

China signs pact with Solomon Islands to boost cooperation on ‘law enforcement and security matters’

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The Solomon Islands has signed an agreement to boost cooperation with China on “law enforcement and security matters,” in a move likely to raise concerns among the South Pacific island’s traditional partners including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Chinese side will continue to provide support and help to Solomon Islands as needed in strengthening Solomon …

Australia ‘concerned’ by China-Solomon Islands policing deal
1 year, 6 months ago

Australia ‘concerned’ by China-Solomon Islands policing deal

Al Jazeera  

Australia urges the nations to publish details of the police deal which it says will ‘invite further regional contest’. Australia on Tuesday asked the Solomon Islands and China to “provide transparency of their intentions to Australia and the region” by immediately publishing details of a policing deal signed in Beijing. The police cooperation pact was among nine deals signed after …

Why the Pacific islands are key
1 year, 7 months ago

Why the Pacific islands are key

Hindustan Times  

Off the northeastern coast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean is a smattering of islands, which form the frontline in the battle to survive in a warming Earth, and the associated vagaries of rapid sea level rise and rash changes in climate phenomenon. Yet, these small islands — sandwiched between the United States, China and Australia — also serve another …

China in the Pacific: The Fiji Case
1 year, 7 months ago

China in the Pacific: The Fiji Case

The Diplomat  

Much has changed in the Pacific in the year since Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China in April 2022. When Bainimarama grasped power in a 2006 military coup, his ostracism by Fiji’s traditional partners in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States was China’s great gain. In turn, Bainimarama adopted a “look north” policy that embraced China’s growing …

Australia accused of undermining Fiji-China relationship, amid uncertainty over police agreement
1 year, 8 months ago

Australia accused of undermining Fiji-China relationship, amid uncertainty over police agreement

ABC  

China has accused Australia of trying to sabotage its relationship with Fiji as questions swirl over whether the Pacific Island country will cut security and law enforcement ties with Beijing. Key points: Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has repeatedly said that he will scrap a 2011 police cooperation agreement with China China's embassy in Fiji last week released a statement …

Closer security ties flagged with Vanuatu as Australia wrestles with China's Pacific rise
2 years ago

Closer security ties flagged with Vanuatu as Australia wrestles with China's Pacific rise

ABC  

Australia has cemented closer security ties with Vanuatu as the strategically located Pacific nation assures a visiting bi-partisan delegation led by Foreign Minister Penny Wong that it isn't discussing a similar deal with China. Key points: Vanuatu describes Australia as a "core" security partner That partnership will include further military, policing and cyber security co-operation Vanuatu's foreign minister says the …

US to expand diplomatic, defense footprint in the Pacific
2 years, 3 months ago

US to expand diplomatic, defense footprint in the Pacific

Live Mint  

A new U.S. strategy for the Pacific will involve a bigger diplomatic and security footprint, help island nations respond to climate change and focus on economic prosperity, according to a preview released shortly before Pacific leaders planned to meet President Biden in Washington. The two-day meeting, billed by the U.S. as a summit involving leaders and representatives from more than …

China strategy in Pacific islands a cause for US concern: Report
2 years, 3 months ago

China strategy in Pacific islands a cause for US concern: Report

Al Jazeera  

To counter China’s growing influence in the Pacific the US should bolster support for island states, new report states. To counter China’s growing influence in the region, the US should bolster support for island states in the north Pacific where it had the strongest historical ties, the report suggests. “Perhaps to a greater extent than any other geographic area, the …

Biden to host Pacific Island summit with wary eye on China
2 years, 4 months ago

Biden to host Pacific Island summit with wary eye on China

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The White House announced Friday that President Joe Biden will host Pacific Island leaders in Washington later this month amid growing worries by the United States and Western allies about China’s activity in the region. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement the meetings Sept. 28-29 “will demonstrate the United States’ deep and enduring partnership with Pacific …

Biden to host Pacific Island summit with wary eye on China
2 years, 4 months ago

Biden to host Pacific Island summit with wary eye on China

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The White House announced Friday that President Joe Biden will …

Pacific islands demand climate action as China, US woo region
2 years, 5 months ago

Pacific islands demand climate action as China, US woo region

Al Jazeera  

Pacific island nations, courted by China and the United States, put the superpowers on notice, telling the world’s two biggest carbon emitters to take more action on climate change while pledging unity in the face of a growing geopolitical contest. Leaders at a four-day summit of the Pacific Islands Forum, meeting in Fiji’s capital Suva, bristled at a Chinese attempt …

In Pacific islands, US diplomatic push stirs memories of neglect
2 years, 5 months ago

In Pacific islands, US diplomatic push stirs memories of neglect

Al Jazeera  

As United States Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a major ramping up of US aid and diplomacy in Pacific island countries on Wednesday, she acknowledged that they had not always received the “attention and support that you deserve”. Speaking after Harris’ announcement, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said the US “is certainly looking a lot more like the Pacific partner …

Harris vows US will strengthen its Pacific islands relations
2 years, 5 months ago

Harris vows US will strengthen its Pacific islands relations

Associated Press  

SUVA, Fiji — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris assured Pacific island leaders of more U.S. engagement after acknowledging Wednesday the United States may not have previously provided the diplomatic attention the region deserved. Harris’ virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum, meeting in the Fijian capital Suva, comes as China vies for more influence in the Indo-Pacific region. “The United …

This week's Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji is shaping up as one of the most consequential in years
2 years, 5 months ago

This week's Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji is shaping up as one of the most consequential in years

ABC  

It's been a long time coming. US and China to be excluded from Pacific meeting Photo shows National flags for the Pacific Islands Forum The decision by the Pacific's peak diplomatic body to exclude major international powers from a crucial meeting next month will give leaders the opportunity to discuss regional issues without outside pressure. Despite absence, China to feature …

Pacific islands summit begins amid US-China battle for influence
2 years, 6 months ago

Pacific islands summit begins amid US-China battle for influence

Al Jazeera  

Key summit comes as region grapples with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and US-China rivalry. “I don’t hear a well-formulated answer on exactly how the strategy will be implemented, and I don’t think other neighbouring nations are much further along than we are.” Bohn said that while developed countries would prefer to see the region adopt a …

Can the US Respond to the Pacific’s Rise and Woes?
2 years, 6 months ago

Can the US Respond to the Pacific’s Rise and Woes?

The Diplomat  

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings back the tensions of the Cold War, China’s foray into the Pacific Islands is bringing back memories of World War II. Beijing’s intentions for the region at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China have been unsettling not just for Washington, but for the region at large. Granted, the White …

Penny Wong to visit New Zealand, Solomon Islands amid concern over climate change, China security pact
2 years, 6 months ago

Penny Wong to visit New Zealand, Solomon Islands amid concern over climate change, China security pact

ABC  

Foreign Minister Penny Wong will travel to New Zealand and Solomon Islands this week to discuss climate change and regional security in what will be her third visit to the Pacific since being sworn in last month. Key points: Senator Wong will meet her Wellington counterpart Nanaia Mahuta on Thursday On Friday she will visit Honiara to meet Solomon Islands …

China brought a major initiative to Pacific Island nations. It has the U.S. worried
2 years, 7 months ago

China brought a major initiative to Pacific Island nations. It has the U.S. worried

NPR  

China brought a major initiative to Pacific Island nations. It has the U.S. worried China's foreign minister recently wrapped up a visit to eight Pacific island nations, raising alarm in the U.S. and its allies. China's foreign minister recently wrapped up a visit to eight Pacific Island nations, and that has raised alarm in the U.S. and among its allies. …

China’s growing footprint in the Pacific Islands
2 years, 7 months ago

China’s growing footprint in the Pacific Islands

The Hindu  

The story so far: Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China, is currently on an eight-day visit to ten Pacific Island Countries, and has co-hosted with Fiji the Second China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers Meeting on May 30, 2022. Though this has raised regional concerns about China’s growing footprint in the Pacific islands, it has also been seen as a …

China and the Pacific Step Up
2 years, 7 months ago

China and the Pacific Step Up

Hindustan Times  

In the recent Australian elections on May 21, 2022, we saw China dominating the domestic politics during the election campaigns. The leaked document revealed the South Pacific Island’s unprecedented level of security cooperation with Beijing which includes the latter’s right to access naval facilities in the Solomon Islands for resupply/logistical replenishments and stopover transitions. The advantage of a base for …

China fails to ink bold deal with Pacific Island states, finds smaller wins
2 years, 7 months ago

China fails to ink bold deal with Pacific Island states, finds smaller wins

Firstpost  

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi was in Fiji to co-host a key meeting with the foreign ministers from the 10 island nations Suva, Fiji: China fell short Monday on a bold plan to have 10 Pacific nations endorse a sweeping new agreement covering everything from security to fisheries as some in the region expressed deep concerns. Panuelo called it “the …

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