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SYDNEY/BEIJING Nov 13 (Reuters) - Australia scored a significant win for influence in the Pacific Islands region with a trump card that China, seeking to expand security ties, doesn't have: the opportunity of resettlement. "It is something China can't do," said Australian National University Pacific expert Graeme Smith. "China can turn up and offer more infrastructure money... they can't turn up and offer this kind of resettlement relationship. Australia also will be able to block any policing deal between China and Tuvalu - as well as any telecommunications, energy or port deal - under its treaty. "Cooperation in the Pacific region tends to focus on non-traditional security, including maintenance of public security and infrastructure to deal with climate change," he added.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Graeme Smith, Richard Marles, Peter Dean, Smith, Wang Yiwei, Kirsty Needham, Martin Pollard, Miral Organizations: SYDNEY, Pacific, Australian National University Pacific, Pacific Islanders, Defence, United States Studies Centre, Albanese's, Pacific Games, State, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Renmin University, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Australia, China, Tuvalu, Washington, Beijing, Rarotonga, Sydney, Pacific Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Kiribati, U.S, United States, Pacific

☆ Australia Foreign Minister Touts Tuvalu Security, Migration Pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday that a security and migration pact signed with Tuvalu showed Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner, as it seeks to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Australia announced on Friday the security guarantee to the tiny Pacific Islands nation to respond to military aggression, protect it from climate change and boost migration. Australia, a United States ally, has been working to shore up its Pacific standing amid a rising China, which recently upgraded a security pact with Solomon Islands. Under the treaty, announced in the Cook Islands by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations. Albanese has called the pact Australia's most significant agreement with a Pacific Island nation, giving "a guarantee that upon a request from Tuvalu for any military assistance based upon security issues, Australia will be there."

Persons: Penny Wong, Wong, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Tuvalu, Pacific ., Australian Broadcasting Corp Locations: Australia, Pacific, Pacific . Australia, United States, China, Solomon, Tuvalu, Cook, Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Sydney

☆ Australia foreign minister touts Tuvalu security, migration pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday that a security and migration pact signed with Tuvalu showed Australia was a "genuine, reliable" regional partner, as it seeks to counter China's influence in the Pacific. Australia announced on Friday the security guarantee to the tiny Pacific Islands nation to respond to military aggression, protect it from climate change and boost migration. Australia, a United States ally, has been working to shore up its Pacific standing amid a rising China, which recently upgraded a security pact with Solomon Islands. Under the treaty, announced in the Cook Islands by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations.

Persons: Penny Wong, Eduardo Munoz, Wong, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Sam McKeith, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Australia's, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Tuvalu, Pacific ., Australian Broadcasting Corp, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Australia, Pacific, Pacific . Australia, United States, China, Solomon, Tuvalu, Cook, Taiwan, Beijing, Hawaii, Sydney

☆ Australia signs security, migration pact with Pacific's Tuvalu
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A man riding a motorbike is seen reflected in a puddle of water in Funafuti, Tuvalu, August 13, 2019. Under the treaty announced by Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Tuvalu counterpart Kausea Natano, Australia will also vet Tuvalu's security arrangements with other nations. An Australian government official said this requirement covered any defence, police, port, telecommunications, energy or cyber security arrangements by Tuvalu. Although Australia has defence agreements with other Pacific Islands nations, in a region where China recently struck a security pact with Solomon Islands and is seeking to expand its policing ties and infrastructure projects, the Tuvalu treaty goes much further in positioning Australia as its primary security partner. Australia sees deeper economic and social integration with the Pacific Islands as a way to ensure the security of the region, a government official said.

Persons: Mick Tsikasvia, Anthony Albanese, Kausea Natano, Albanese, Natano, " Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Alasdair Pal, Lewis Jackson, Kim Coghill, Christopher Cushing, Lincoln, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Australia's, Tuvalu, Pacific, Tuvalu Falepili, Australia, Canberra, Thomson Locations: Funafuti, Tuvalu, Australia, Taiwan, Beijing, Cook, China, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Washington, Sydney

Instead, ongoing exercises in Hawaii, which conclude Friday, highlight part of a new American approach to Pacific defense and deterrence, with a focus on small groups of mobile land forces operating from islands like those off China's coast. As part of its “Operation Pathways” revamp of Pacific defense set in motion nearly a decade ago, the U.S. has been increasing its number of exercises with partners in the Indo-Pacific. “And that helps the U.S. to overcome its numerical disadvantages as China's navy is continuing to expand. The exercises provide experience in technical and procedural interoperability and also build human bonds that can be critical in times of crisis. Austin’s travels overlap with Secretary of State Antony Blinken ’s own visits to Tokyo, Seoul and New Delhi.

Persons: ”, Marcus Evans, Euan Graham, ” Graham, Evans, ” Evans, Defense Lloyd Austin, Antony Blinken ’, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Graham Organizations: 25th Infantry Division, U.S . Air Force, Wheeler Army, U.S . Department of Defense, U.S . Navy, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, U.S, United States Army, Defense, ” Aircraft Locations: BANGKOK, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, Israel, Iran, Hawaii, American, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, Oahu, United States, Mariana Islands, Guam, Pacific, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi, Solomon Islands, Washington

☆ Exclusive: Google to run internet cables to Pacific islands in Australia-US deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O) will run undersea cables powering internet access to at least eight far-flung Pacific Ocean nations under a joint U.S.-Australian deal set to be announced on Wednesday, according to a U.S. official. The deal will expand an existing commercial project by Google in the region to the nations of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Set to be announced during an official White House visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the previously unreported deal involves contributions from both governments. Google is currently working on a fiber-optic cable that links Taiwan, the self-ruled island claimed by China, with the Philippines and the United States. As part of the Pacific islands project, the United States will work with the countries on cybersecurity resilience, helping them back up key information to global cloud networks, according to the official.

Persons: Gonzalo Fuentes, White, Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Google, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Australian, Thomson Locations: Porte, Paris, France, U.S, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor, Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Canberra, Washington, China, United States, Taiwan, Philippines

☆ Australia, U.S. Leaders to Discuss Pacific Infrastructure, Critical Minerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Kirsty NeedhamSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia and the United States will announce plans to cooperate on critical minerals and bolster Pacific Islands infrastructure as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits Washington this week, a senior Biden administration official said. The two leaders will flesh out details of further cyber security cooperation, in addition to a $5 billion Microsoft investment in Australia, the Biden administration official said. The minerals that will power the globe in the 21st century are things that Australia has significant amounts of," he told reporters in Washington on Monday. Albanese and Biden will also discuss the South China Sea, where tensions between China and the Philippines are rising. The partnership aims to sell Australia nuclear-powered submarines and build a new class of submarine in Australia by 2040.

Persons: Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Anthony Albanese, Albanese's, Biden, Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Biden, U.S, U.S . Department of Defense, USAID, Australia, U.S . Congress Locations: Australia, United, Pacific, Washington, United States, U.S, China, Papua New Guinea, Solomon, Philippines, Britain

☆ What is most significant in the Pentagon's China military report?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MISSILES:The report said China probably completed the construction of its three new silo fields in 2022, which has at least 300 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. The report said China may be exploring developing conventionally armed intercontinental-range missile systems, which, if developed, could allow Beijing to threaten the United States. OVERSEAS BASING:China has been expanding its global military footprint, though it is still much smaller than the United States' network of bases. U.S. ASSISTANCEWhile the report said China has generally ignored or denied the United States' efforts to have military-to-military talks, it described an occasion when Beijing required U.S. assistance. In April 2023, the Chinese military requested U.S. assistance in evacuating Chinese diplomats from Khartoum, Sudan.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Idrees Ali, Michael Martina, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Khartoum, Sudan, The U.S

☆ Factbox-What Is Most Significant in the Pentagon's China Military Report?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

In a previous report, the Pentagon estimated that Beijing had more than 400 operational nuclear warheads in 2021. MISSILES:The report said China probably completed the construction of its three new silo fields in 2022, which has at least 300 new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos. The report said China may be exploring developing conventionally armed intercontinental-range missile systems, which, if developed, could allow Beijing to threaten the United States. OVERSEAS BASING:China has been expanding its global military footprint, though it is still much smaller than the United States' network of bases. U.S. ASSISTANCEWhile the report said China has generally ignored or denied the United States' efforts to have military-to-military talks, it described an occasion when Beijing required U.S. assistance.

Persons: Idrees Ali, Michael Martina, Leslie Adler Organizations: WASHINGTON, Pentagon Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Khartoum, Sudan, The U.S

☆ He visited every country in the world — without flying. Here's how much it cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Danish traveler Torbjorn Pedersen says he is the first person to visit every country in the world — without flying. The best and worst timesPedersen had planned to stay in Hong Kong for about a week when he arrived in January 2020. Pedersen spent the most time in Hong Kong, staying 772 days because of the Covid -19 pandemic. "I feel more at home in Hong Kong than I do in Copenhagen, " he said. Torbjorn Pedersen

Persons: Torbjorn Pedersen, Pedersen, Ross, Selena Wright, I've, Torbjorn Pedersen Pedersen, it’s Organizations: CNBC, Ross Energy, United Nations Locations: Singapore, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Vatican City, Copenhagen, Cameroon, Congo, Denmark, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Solomon

LONDON (AP) — Health ministers in the Western Pacific nominated a surgeon from Tonga, Dr. Saia Ma'u Piukala, to lead the World Health Organization's regional office at a meeting in Manila on Tuesday. Piukala's nomination for WHO's top job in the Western Pacific comes months after the U.N. health agency fired its previous director, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, following allegations of racism and misconduct first reported by The Associated Press last year. Piukala was most recently Tonga's minister of health and defeated rival candidates from China, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Vietnam. Days after the AP report, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that an internal investigation into Kasai had begun. ___The Associated Press health and science department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: Saia Ma'u, Takeshi Kasai, Piukala, ” Kasai, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ”, ” Piukala, Temo Waqanivalu Organizations: —, Western Pacific, Health, The Associated Press, WHO, AP, Associated Press, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Tonga, Manila, Western Pacific, China, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Vietnam, Kasai, Pacific, Western, Syria, Congo

☆ Exclusive: Timor president says China military cooperation 'never discussed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The agreement also provided scope for funding from China including government and commercial loans to East Timor, he said. Some Australian politicians expressed concern after China's state media reported on Saturday that Beijing's agreement with East Timor, around 700km (450 miles) north-west of Australia, also covered military exchanges. "It was never discussed in terms of military cooperation, never discussed, and the Chinese side also never raised this issue," Ramos-Horta said. East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, aims to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN by 2025 as it seeks to reduce high poverty rates. Australia has appointed an envoy to speed up negotiations between East Timor and Woodside; Gusmao's government wants gas to be piped to East Timor and not Australia.

Persons: Jose Ramos, Caitlin Ochs, Horta, Xanana Gusmao, Xi Jinping, heightening, Ramos, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln, 私 Organizations: Sustainable, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, East, Reuters, Southeast, ASEAN, Canberra, Woodside Energy, Greater Sunrise, Greater, Australia, UN's, Fund for Agricultural Development, Global Citizen, Pacific Locations: Horta, Timor, New York City , New York, U.S, East Timor, China, Australia, Indonesia, Canberra, Solomon Islands, 2,000km, Timor Leste, ASEAN, Singapore, Malaysia, East Timor's, Dili, Greater Sunrise, Southeast Asia, Woodside, United States, New York

☆ Exclusive: East Timor president says China military cooperation was 'never discussed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The agreement also provided scope for funding from China including government and commercial loans to East Timor, he said. "It was never discussed in terms of military cooperation, never discussed, and the Chinese side also never raised this issue," Ramos-Horta said. East Timor, also known as Timor Leste, aims to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc ASEAN by 2025 as it seeks to reduce high poverty rates. Australia has appointed an envoy to speed up negotiations between East Timor and Woodside; Gusmao's government wants gas to be piped to East Timor and not Australia. Australia's relationship with East Timor is "stronger than at any time in the last decade", Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Persons: Jose Ramos, Caitlin Ochs, Horta, Xanana Gusmao, Xi Jinping, heightening, Ramos, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln Organizations: Sustainable, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, East, Reuters, Southeast, ASEAN, Canberra, Woodside Energy, Greater Sunrise, Greater, Australia, UN's, Fund for Agricultural Development, Global Citizen, Pacific, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs, Thomson Locations: Horta, Timor, New York City , New York, U.S, East Timor, China, Australia, Indonesia, Canberra, Solomon Islands, 2,000km, Timor Leste, ASEAN, Singapore, Malaysia, East Timor's, Dili, Greater Sunrise, Southeast Asia, Woodside, New York

☆ US backs Pacific undersea internet cable amid China competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Workers install the 2Africa undersea cable on the beach in Amanzimtoti, South Africa, February 7, 2023. The Central Pacific Cable would connect American Samoa with Guam - two U.S. territories - and extend to up to 12 more Pacific islands, according to a document showing the cable route. Undersea internet cables typically take at least 3-5 years to be developed and installed. Tonga was cut off from global telecommunication networks for a month last year after a volcanic eruption and tsunami severed its only undersea cable. Washington intervened two years ago to block a Chinese company from building another subsea internet cable in the Pacific islands, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Rogan Ward, Paul McCann, John Hibbard, APTelecom, Hibbard, McCann, Joe Biden, Biden, Solomon, Joe Brock, Kirsty Needham Organizations: REUTERS, Pacific, Reuters, Central Pacific Cable, Futuna, Federated, World Bank, U.S . Trade, Development Agency, U.S, East Micronesia Cable, Thomson Locations: Amanzimtoti, South Africa, China, SINGAPORE, United States, American Samoa, Guam, U.S, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Wallis, Federated States, Micronesia, Australia, New Zealand, Washington, Tonga, Beijing, Japan, Sydney

☆ Solomon Islands leader says he skipped Biden summit to avoid 'lecture'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said he skipped a Pacific Islands leaders summit at the White House this week to avoid a "lecture" and because he had more pressing issues at home. "They lecture you about how good they are", he said, according to a video of the press conference published by Solomon Islands media company Tavuli News on Wednesday evening. Sogavare said he returned because there were 10 weeks left of parliament at home in Solomon Islands, which was more important. At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sogavare had praised China's development cooperation as "less restrictive".

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Eduardo Munoz, Manesseh Sogavare, Joe Biden, Sogavare, James Marape, Biden, Kirsty Needham, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Islands, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights, Solomon Islands, Pacific, United Nations, Island Forum, Solomon, Biden Administration, Papua New Guinea, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Solomon, China, Solomon Islands, United States, Washington, Pacific, Papua New, New York

Pacific islands leaders gathered Monday for the start of a two-day Washington summit. As part of the summit, the U.S. is formally establishing diplomatic relations with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region to collaborate and train with Pacific islands nations. The administration pledged the U.S. would add $810 million in new aid for Pacific islands nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to stymie the impacts of climate change. The leaders will also meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, “, Antony Blinken, Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi, Mark Brown, Brown, ” Brown, John Kerry, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Kerry, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Monday, Pacific Islands Forum, South Pacific, Niue Premier, Cook Islands, U.S ., U.S, Corporation, NFL, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, State Department, U.S . Agency for International Development, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Australian Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Cook Islands, Niue, Cook, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Baltimore, Pacific, Federated States, The U.S

Ahead of a White House welcome for the leaders, Biden announced U.S. diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. The White House said this year it would focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing. In Baltimore on Sunday, Pacific island leaders visited a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and were briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, an official said. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization."

Persons: Joe Biden, Walter E, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Manasseh Sogavare, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Washington Convention Center, REUTERS, Rights, Pacific, NFL, White, U.S ., Niue, Sunday, Coast Guard, Sunday's National Football League, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Cook Islands, Niue, The U.S, Papua New Guinea, U.S, Asia, Cook, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall, Sydney

☆ Biden Hosts Pacific Islands, With a Rising China in Mind
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Michael Crowley | More About Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But Mr. Biden also announced that he was working with Congress to invest $40 million in infrastructure spending for the islands, and he said that the United States would establish diplomatic relations for the first time with the Cook Islands and Niue. But they are two of many recent moves the Biden administration has made to strengthen America’s presence in a region east and northeast of Australia. Over the past year, the United States has opened embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and plans to open one early next year in Vanuatu. When Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken landed in Fiji in February 2022, it was the first visit there by an American secretary of state in 36 years. Those steps are in no small part chess moves in response to growing Chinese influence in the region, which became particularly vivid last year when the Solomon Islands surprised U.S. officials by signing a sweeping security pact with Beijing.

Persons: Biden, Antony J, Blinken, Solomon Locations: United States, Cook Islands, Niue, Australia, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji, American, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Beijing

☆ US 'disappointed' Solomon Islands leader Sogavare to miss White House summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY/WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. is disappointed Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will not attend a Pacific Islands summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, the White House said on Saturday. "We are disappointed that PM Sogavare of the Solomons does not plan to attend," a Biden Administration official said. The Australian broadcaster ABC reported Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele will attend the summit instead. The Solomon Islands Prime Ministers Office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Eduardo Munoz, Solomon, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeremiah Manele, Sogavare, Xi Jinping, Sato Kilman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Josie Kao Organizations: Islands, General Assembly, REUTERS, Rights SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Pacific, White, Biden Administration, ABC, Solomon, Solomon Islands Prime Ministers, United Nations General Assembly, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Vanuatu, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, WASHINGTON, China, Washington, Australian, Solomon Islands, New York, Beijing, Solomon, Sydney

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve Internet connectivity via undersea cables, and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. SOME SKIP SUMMITSolomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country's ties with China, will skip the summit. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization. "Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not attend the summit, his office told Reuters.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, James Marape, David Kabua, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Solomon Islands, Guinea's, Samoa's, U.S ., NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Pacific, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Papua, Marshall, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, The U.S, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Sydney

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce the opening of new U.S. embassies on Cook Islands and Niue on Monday as the Democratic administration aims to demonstrate to Pacific Island leaders that it remains committed to increasing American presence in the region. The announcement about the new diplomatic missions in the South Pacific comes as Biden prepares to welcome leaders to Washington for the two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit. Talks are expected to heavily focus on the impact of climate change in the region. They also will meet on Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for talks focused on climate change. Kerry and USAID administrator Samantha Power will host the leaders on Tuesday for climate talks with members of the philanthropic community.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, John Kerry, Antony Blinken, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Samantha Power, Janet Yellen, Manasseh Sogavare, Meltek Sato Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, Anthony Albanese Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Forum, White, Baltimore Ravens, Coast Guard, U.S . Coast Guard, White House, Pacific, State Department, USAID, Marshall, Federated, Solomon Islands, General Assembly, The U.S, Australian Locations: Cook Islands, Niue, South, Washington, Baltimore Harbor, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia , New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kerry, Federated States, The U.S, Solomon, New York, China, Papua, Guinea, The

☆ US 'Disappointed' Solomon Islands Leader Sogavare to Miss White House Summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. is disappointed Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will not attend a Pacific Islands summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, the White House said on Saturday. Biden will host a second summit with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House on Monday as part of his efforts to step up engagement with a region where the U.S. is in a battle for influence with China. "We are disappointed that PM Sogavare of the Solomons does not plan to attend," a Biden Administration official said. The Australian broadcaster ABC reported Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele will attend the summit instead. The Solomon Islands Prime Ministers Office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Persons: Solomon, Manasseh Sogavare, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeremiah Manele, Sogavare, Xi Jinping, Sato Kilman, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Josie Kao Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Pacific, White, Biden Administration, ABC, Solomon, Solomon Islands Prime Ministers, United Nations General Assembly, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Vanuatu Locations: WASHINGTON, U.S, China, Washington, Australian, Solomon Islands, New York, Beijing, Solomon, Sydney

☆ China, resource-rich East Timor upgrade bilateral ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He said he would continue to foster a relationship with the United States, but added that East Timor would not be implicated in any rivalry between Beijing and Washington. East Timor welcomes strong ties with all countries, including its southern neighbour Australia, Ramos-Horta said last year. Upgrading their ties, China and East Timor agreed to cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative championed by Xi, that could open the way for investment in infrastructure. China sent its military-run hospital ship to the Pacific in July to visit countries including East Timor and the Solomon islands. In a joint declaration, released on state run China Central Television (CCTV) on Saturday, China said it would provide help for East Timor's economic and societal development.

Persons: Xanana Gusmao, Mast, Xi Jinping, Jose Ramos, Ramos, Horta, Xi, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Timor's, 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Rights, East Timor's, Asian Games, East, Washington . East Timor, Initiative, Pacific, China Central Television, Greater, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights BEIJING, China, East Timor, Beijing, Hangzhou, Horta, United States, Timor, Washington . East, Australia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Solomon, Greater Sunrise

☆ When Fiji Beats Australia, and It Almost Isn’t an Upset
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Victor Mather | More About Victor Mather | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fiji, population 900,000, defeated Australia, population 25 million, at the Rugby World Cup in St. Etienne, France, on Sunday. Fiji had not defeated Australia, a two-time winner of the event, since 1954. Fiji and other tiny Pacific islands consistently punch above their weight in rugby, unlike just about any other international sports competition. In its opening World Cup game it came agonizingly close to beating another traditional power, Wales. The Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Tahiti and the Solomon Islands also field men’s teams in international competition.

Organizations: Rugby, Fiji, England, Chile Locations: Fiji, Australia, St, Etienne, France, Wales, Georgia, Portugal, Samoa, Tonga, Ireland, Cook, Papua New Guinea, Niue, Tahiti, Solomon

☆ Factbox-New Zealand Voters' Top Issues in October General Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Chris Hipkins, who took the prime minister's post in January after Jacinda Ardern stepped down, has nudged his Labour Party towards the centre, focusing on what he terms "bread and butter issues". The opposition National Party has blamed Labour for rising costs and is promising, if elected, to cut taxes and bring inflation under control. Given New Zealand's ever-increasing building costs, poor housing stock and overcrowding, however, supply continues to fall short of demand. The National Party has proposed unlocking more land for housing, providing incentives for councils to build more houses and creating new infrastructure financing tools. The National Party says it will encourage trade and investment, increase the skilled labour force and cut red tape.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Lucy Craymer, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reuters, New Zealanders, Labour, National, Labour Party, National Party, Zealand's Labour Locations: New, New Zealand, China, Pacific, Solomon, South Pacific, Britain

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