Sovereignty talks at Defence Summit in Singapore

Country leaders present at a defence summit in Singapore on Monday have made their stance clear on sovereignty. Inia Seruiratu, Fiji’s Minister for Defence, National Security and Policing highlighted that Fiji values

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We have no choice but to fight for our future

“The threat of nuclear weapons is an existential crisis and we feel the weight that this places on us for our future,” says Bedi Racule. “It can be really hard to face these things, but we have no choice but to

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Niue concerned over grounded Taiwanese ship 

The Niue government is remaining tight lipped over the Taiwanese fishing vessel that ran aground on a Niue reef last week. Radio New Zealand has spoken about the incident with a government official who would like remain

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The false Pacific dilemma of choosing between U.S. and China

For some observers, the signing of the China-Solomon Islands Treaty has opened a can of geostrategic worms for the Pacific (Australia, NZ and FICs), presenting a false dilemma that FICs ought to choose who is to be

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A ‘Can Do’ Spirit For MSG and Melanesia

“In terms of the broad Melanesian Spearhead Group family, my intention is to re-institute the spirit of ‘can do’ that characterised the MSG when it was first formed in the 1980s.” That’s Leonard Louma, the new

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Comment: Making Sense of Multi-layered Security Frameworks

Security is a priority in the region. It has been so since 1971, when the earlier version of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) – the South Pacific Forum (SPF) first met in Wellington on 5-7 August that year. At that

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MSG, Indonesia dialogue on Regional Security Strategy

The Indonesian National Police (INP) is hosting the 4th Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Regional Security Strategy (RSS) Working Group (WG) from June 6 to 10, 2022 in Bali, Indonesia. The event is attended by delegates

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Fiji is first Pacific country to join Indo-Pacific framework

Fiji is the first Pacific island nation and 14th country in the world to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).  In a statement released Friday, U.S National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

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Fiji AG says China proposed deal ‘simply a proposal’

Fiji’s Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has sought to play down concern over China’s proposed deal with 10 Pacific nations covering policing, security and communications. Former Kiribati president Anote Tong

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FSM President rejects China joint communique plan

China will seek a region-wide deal with almost a dozen Pacific islands covering policing, security and data communications cooperation when Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosts a meeting in Fiji next week, documents seen by

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China seeks security deals with Kiribati and Vanuatu

China is intensifying its drive for influence in the Pacific by negotiating security deals with two additional island nations following a pact with the Solomon Islands, according to officials in the U.S and allied

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Solomon Islands congratulates Albanese on election win

The Solomon Islands has congratulated Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his election win as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Yet, “much however, remains to be done,” says Solomon Islands

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China Foreign Minister likely to visit Solomons

Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi is likely to visit the Solomon Islands in coming weeks. A senior Solomon Islands government source told the ABC that preparations had begun for Wang to visit the

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Japan reaffirms Pacific regional support

Japan, Fiji and Palau share the same concerns over a security pact China recently signed with the Solomon Islands, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Sunday as he wrapped up a trip to the two Pacific island

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Felled by its own Failures – How Australia’s inaction to reform logging in the Solomon Islands has let China in

We have watched these past few weeks as the evolving situation surrounding the Solomon Islands/China security pact has unfolded. It appears that every journalist and political commentator is suddenly an expert in the

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U.S-Solomon Islands bilateral talks a success

On the China-Solomon Islands Security Cooperation, “We have no say on the SI-China agreement. We respect Solomon Islands sovereign decision. There is no misunderstanding,” stated the White House Official. 

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China and Solomon Islands sign security deal

China has signed a security deal with the Solomon Islands just days ahead of a visit by senior U.S government officials to the South Pacific country, exacerbating western fears over Beijing’s growing influence in the

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Senior U.S officials visits Solomon Islands this week

White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell and the U.S Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, will lead a delegation to Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea

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Australia asks PM Sogavare to avoid security deal

Australia Minister Zed Seselja met with Prime Minister Sogavare in Honiara, in light of the proposed China-Solomon Islands security

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Solomon Islands PM assures no Chinese military base

Amid a regional backlash, the Solomon Islands said it would not allow a Chinese military base in the Pacific islands nation despite its plans to sign a security pact with Beijing. Following the initialling of a draft

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Australia hands over Blackrock as China concerns re-emerge

The opening of the Blackrock Camp in Nadi this month signified the culmination of “close to a A$100 million investment” by the Australian government designed to support Fiji’s peacekeeping and humanitarian

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Solomon Islands PM says China security deal ‘ready for signing’

Solomon Islands' PM says a contentious security agreement with Beijing was “ready for

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Solomons: Putting a draft security deal with China in local context

A draft MOU between Honiara and Beijing on security related issues has sparked international headlines and worried response from

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US labels Pacific Islands a climate ‘region of concern’

By Nic Maclellan A major assessment by US intelligence agencies lists the Pacific islands as one of two “regions of great concern” in the world, because of the adverse effects of climate change. The assessment of

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