Where’s the Pacific? PNG’s potential in a new world order
TWO important meetings have taken place within the past 12 months. The first was in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024, where BRICS nations met; the second was the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin,
It’s about money US expansion to save island ports
A FEAR in the West around China’s expansion in the Pacific may be the catalyst for the renewal of port infrastructure around the
What’s in, what’s out? Forum prepares to discuss issues
AS Pacific leaders gather in Honiara, Solomon Islands, for their annual discussions, the specter of China will loom over
NZ-China row ahead of Forum
NEW Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says China has been “too clever by half” in response to a statement from Beijing denying any involvement in this year’s Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting
China rejects pressure claims
CHINA has refuted suggestions that it pressures Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele to stop Taiwan from attending the upcoming Pacific Islands
Rabuka – Taiwan snub threatens unity
THE Solomon Islands’ decision to exclude Taiwan from the upcoming Pacific Forum meeting is a threat to regional unity, Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said
Nauru, China sign deal
NAURU and China have signed an AUD 1 billion investment deal to boost socio-economic development in the Central Pacific
Solomons widens Forum ban
SOLOMON Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has thrown 21 donor countries, including the United States and China, out of the region's top political
Taiwan hot issue as Forum looms
PACIFIC countries have been urged to show unity ahead of a regional forum in Solomon Islands later this
Adeang defends China position
NAURU’S President David Adeang says his government’s decision in January 2024 to re-establish diplomatic relations with China had paid great
New Zealand challenges Cook Islands PM
NEW Zealand has challenged Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to test the views of the nation and hold a referendum on independence following his latest defence of agreements with
Lal Fiji’s first iGEM participant
Aayush Lal becomes the first Fijian to compete International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) event, this year in
Trump announces 90-day pause on tariffs except for China
US President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause on tariffs effective
Littleproud says Coalition government would urge Pacific to be ‘more aggressive’ on China
David Littleproud urges Pacific pressure on China, sparking Labor criticism of Coalition's climate
Poll position: What Australia’s election holds for the Pacific
Australia’s policies toward the Pacific will continue to be primarily driven by China’s resurgence, no matter who is elected. Commentary by Tess Newton Cain When Solomon Islands and China signed a
Hegseth: U.S committed to defence of Pacific territories against China
U.S Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has reaffirmed the United States is committed to defending the Pacific territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands and said any attack on them would be an attack on the
PNG’s 2024 trade with China exceeded K17.8 billion
The volume of trade between China and Papua New Guinea in 2024 exceeded K17.8 billion (US$4.39 billion)– with a surplus of more than K7.5 billion(US$1.85 billion) on the PNG side. In recent years, more Chinese
Wellington eyes strategic denial in the Cook Islands
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ row with the Cook Islands government in February was every bit as odd as his January quarrel with the President of Kiribati. It arose after the Cook Islands Prime Minister,
Convicted fraudsters stranded abroad after Marshall Islands revokes their passports
A pair of China-born scammers convicted of bribing officials via a fake United Nations agency have had their Marshall Islands passports revoked while outside the country, potentially leaving them stranded in permanent
Pacific nation of Kiribati explores deep sea mining deal with China
The company at the vanguard of plans to mine deep sea metals used in electric vehicle batteries has surrendered a third of its Pacific Ocean exploration area after a breakdown in cooperation with the island nation of
Vanuatu Government cancels fraudulently acquired passports of Chinese nationals
The Vanuatu government, through the Department of Immigration and Passport Services (DoIPS), has cancelled the Vanuatu passports of three Chinese nationals for fraudulently obtaining them. Huang Bo, Liu Hong, and Tang
Large drone spotted near border with PNG as Chinese warships passed nearby
Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko says he was not notified about a sophisticated drone that flew into the country’s air space around the time a Chinese naval vessel navigated the border
Cook Islands PM’s challenges go beyond China
It’s a cold weekend in one of the coldest cities in Northeast China. Just before heading back to Rarotonga from a controversial mission to China, Prime Minister Mark Brown stepped outside to film one of his regular