Australia pays controversial Chinese company millions for Nauru’s new port

Amid intensifying competition in the region, Australia is bankrolling a Chinese government-backed construction company with a chequered history to build Nauru’s new port.  In January, the Chinese Communist Party’s

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Opinion: It’s important to acknowledge PNG’s own interests with China

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected in Papua New Guinea this weekend to sign an agreement clearing the way for PNG’s agricultural exports to enter the Chinese market. This step has already caught

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Opinion: Where did that Chinese police video come from?

Last night’s 60 Minutes broadcast in Australia featured extraordinary footage of 2017 Chinese police raids in Fiji, followed by the extraction of 77 People’s Republic of China citizens, hooded

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Opinion: Yes, there are Chinese police in Fiji. But that’s none of Australia’s business

Sunday’s episode of 60 Minutes revealed a fascinating tension within the Fijian government about whether to embrace a 2011 agreement signed with the Chinese government that allows Fijian police officers to receive

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Nauruan president starts six-day China visit

Nauru President David Adeang arrived in Beijing on Sunday, embarking on a six-day state visit to China from Sunday to 29 March.   It marks the first visit by a Nauruan president after the two countries resumed

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Chinese Communist Party-Backed Businessman in Fiji is a Top Australian Criminal Target

Prominent Fiji-based businessman Zhao Fugang is a trusted advocate for China’s interests in the Pacific. But Australian law enforcement and intelligence agencies suspect he plays another part: as a senior organized

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China Southern Airlines to increase flights to PNG

China Southern Airlines is considering the possibility of increasing the number of its flights to PNG.  Last December, the Chinese airline company landed for the first time in PNG opening a direct route between

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Opinion: Micronesia in the Headlines

The rise of China and its role in the region is driving U.S. “re-engagement” with the island Pacific. In the case of those Micronesian states who have Compacts of Free Association with the United States (COFA), the

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U.S. passes deal to fund Pacific Islands pacts after delays

The U.S. Congress has passed legislation that will fund key U.S. agreements with Pacific Island nations, in an outcome that will spark relief across the Indo-Pacific after previous delays undermined efforts to counter

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Bill to fund U.S. Government includes money to counter China in Pacific 

U.S. congressional negotiators released a bill Sunday that would fund key parts of the government through the rest of the fiscal year, which began in October 2023.  Among provisions in the appropriations package are

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U.S. cautions Pacific nations after Kiribati gets Chinese police

The United States on Feb 26 cautioned Pacific Island nations against receiving assistance from Chinese security forces after Reuters reported that Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati.

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China lures Palau with economic incentives to break ties with Taiwan

China has promised Palau economic benefits in exchange for the latter severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a letter the Palauan president wrote to an unnamed United States senator revealed.  President Surangel Whipps

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