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☆ China Wants to Challenge U.S. Military Power Around the World - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Craig Singleton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, China is nearing completion of what U.S. officials suspect will be its first overseas military outpost in the Indo-Pacific region. Beyond facilitating Chinese military adventurism in the South China Sea, the new base could provide the People’s Liberation Army (P.L.A.) with a staging ground to monitor and influence vital maritime routes like the Malacca Strait, through which an estimated 40 percent of the world’s trade flows. But the base also shines a light on Beijing’s broader embrace of an innovative strategy to challenge American military strength that has potentially grave implications for Washington and its allies. China has plainly stated that these points are designed to “provide support for overseas military operations” and “exert political and military influence” abroad.

Organizations: Ream, Liberation Army Locations: Base, China, South China, Malacca, Washington, Aden . China, Djibouti, East Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Solomon Islands, South Pacific

☆ Australia says it will send more police to Solomon Islands, extend mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The extended Australian police presence comes after the Solomon Islands upgraded ties with China, signing a policing agreement in July. Australia, New Zealand and the United States are concerned Chinese police could dislodge a long-standing security arrangement Canberra has with the Pacific Islands nation. The Solomon Islands said on Friday it had invited Australia to extend the police presence, originally due to end in December. Australia was the Pacific Islands nation's "primary security partner", a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement on Sunday. The Solomon Islands last year signed a security pact with China, raising concern in Canberra and Washington about Beijing's naval ambitions.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Kirsty Needham, William Mallard Organizations: Pacific Games, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Australian, Solomon, Solomon Islands Government, Solomons International Assistance Force, Thomson Locations: Australia, Solomon Islands, Solomon, China, New Zealand, United States, Canberra, Fiji , New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, Taiwan, Beijing, Washington

☆ Chinese police experts arrive in Vanuatu amid political crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 26 (Reuters) - China has sent police experts and equipment to the Pacific nation of Vanuatu in the midst of a political crisis that saw the Supreme Court rule the prime minister lost a no-confidence vote in parliament. Loughman, who drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister, said the security pact with Australia compromised Vanuatu's "neutral" status and could jeopardise development assistance from China, its biggest external creditor. The Chinese police experts "will greatly enhance the ability of the Vanuatu police to maintain social order", Kalsakau said, according to the Chinese embassy statement. Police cooperation will improve police capacity and promote social and economic development, Li said, in comments reported by the Vanuatu Daily Post newspaper. The leaders of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji met in Vanuatu on Thursday and signed a joint declaration on security that has yet to be publicly released.

Persons: Bob Loughman, Ishmael Kalsakau, Loughman, China's, Li Minggang, Kalsakau, Li, Kirsty Needham, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, Vanuatu, Kalsakau, Vanuatu Daily Post, Thomson Locations: China, Pacific, Vanuatu, Australia, Kalsakau, New Zealand, United States, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Fiji

☆ Vanuatu court rules pro-Western premier lost no-confidence vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Supreme Court judge Edwin Goldsbrough ruled on Friday that an absolute majority in a parliament with 51 members is 26. If there is no appeal, or it is rejected, parliament would vote in a new prime minister. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister. He has criticised the security pact with Australia, saying it compromises Vanuatu's "neutral" status and could jeopardise development assistance from China. The United States and its allies are seeking to dissuade Pacific Islands nations from establishing security ties with Beijing, after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Kalsakau, Edwin Goldsbrough, Loughman, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Kirsty Needham, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Vanuatu, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, China, Australia, Western, Pacific, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands

☆ Pacific Islands divided over Fukushima water release, says Cook Islands PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair and Prime Minister of Cook Islands, Mark Stephen Brown, speaks during the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit at the former presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 29, 2023. Ahn Young-joon/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, chairman of the Pacific Islands bloc, said that science supported Japan's decision to pump treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, but that the region may not agree on the "complex" issue. Not all Pacific leaders had the same position and the Pacific Islands Forum may not reach a collective position, he said. The United States conducted nuclear tests in the Pacific Islands in the 1940s and 1950s, and France between 1966 and 1996. A Pacific Nuclear Free Zone was established in 1985 under a treaty that prevents the dumping of radioactive materials.

Persons: Mark Stephen Brown, Ahn Young, Mark Brown, Brown, Sitiveni Rabuka, Kirsty Needham, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Islands, Pacific Islands, presidential Blue House, Rights, Cook Islands, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Pacific, United, Fijian, Melanesian Spearhead Group, Thomson Locations: Cook Islands, Korea, Seoul, South Korea, Japan, China, Cook, United States, France, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands

☆ Where Her Father Became a Hero, Caroline Kennedy Redefines Diplomacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Damien Cave | More About Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a drizzly August morning, Caroline Kennedy waded into the turquoise waters between two deserted islands in the South Pacific, trying not to scratch her feet on sprouts of coral. “Your father did this swim,” said her son, Jack Schlossberg. Together they stood in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands, facing a mile-long jaunt to an islet called Olasana — a place John F. Kennedy, Caroline’s father, landed almost exactly 80 years earlier as a junior Navy officer. Ms. Kennedy knew her swim offered just a glimpse of that ordeal. She was there on a short official visit as the U.S. ambassador to Australia.

Persons: Caroline Kennedy waded, ”, “, Jack Schlossberg, John F, Kennedy, Caroline’s, Solomon Organizations: Navy, J.F.K, Solomon Islanders Locations: South, Western Province, Solomon Islands, U.S, Australia

☆ No clear winner in US, China contest in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The United States and PNG signed a defence cooperation agreement in May. STRATEGIC CHESSBOARDThe events in Vanuatu this week highlighted the challenges Pacific nations face in seeking to benefit from both the United States and its allies, and China. The U.S. Coast Guard has yet to gain clearance to enter Vanuatu's port, as it does in other Pacific Islands, Coast Guard officials said. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare is also reluctant to accept U.S. support. The project was the largest infrastructure donation China had made to the Pacific Islands so far, Chinese ambassador Li Ming said at the ceremony.

Persons: Joe Biden, Louis Mapou, Hu'akavemeiliku Siaosi, Surangel Whipps, Kausea Natano, Samantha Power, Power, Washington, Lenora Qereqeretabua, Qereqeretabua, Ratu Jone Logavatu Kalouniwai, Denghua Zhang, Ishmael Kalsakau, Manesseh Sogavare, Sogavare, Li Ming, Kirsty Needham, Miral Organizations: U.S ., Country, New, Tonga's, Tuvalu's, United States, USAID, Pacific, Fiji Military Force, Australian National University, Vanuatu's, U.S . Coast Guard, Coast Guard, Solomon Islands, White, Solomon Islands National University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Federated States, SYDNEY, China, Taiwan, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, United States, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Pacific, Australia, Vanuatu's, Solomon

☆ Pacific island sea levels rising faster than global average, WMO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The morning's first rays of sunlight hit the island community of Serua Village, Fiji, July 15, 2022. As the community runs out of ways to adapt to the rising Pacific Ocean, the 80 villagers face the painful decision whether to move. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies World Meteorological Organization FollowGENEVA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Sea levels in the South-West Pacific are rising faster than the global average, threatening low-lying islands while heat damages marine ecosystems, the U.N. meteorological agency said on Friday. In its State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said water levels were rising about 4 mm per year in some areas, slightly above the global mean rate. "This will have a big impact on the South-West Pacific region as it is frequently associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching," Taalas said in a statement.

Persons: Loren Elliott, Petteri Taalas, El, Taalas, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, World, GENEVA, South -, World Meteorological Organization, WMO, -, Thomson Locations: Serua Village, Fiji, South, South - West, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Australia, Papua New Guinea, - West Pacific, Philippines

☆ Vanuatu opposition boycott parliament after failed bid to remove prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Vanuatu's opposition party boycotted parliament on Thursday and said it would lodge a court challenge to the defeat the previous day of its bid to remove Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister, before losing a snap election in 2022. Wednesday's no-confidence motion won 26 votes, compared with 23 votes against, but failed to win the absolute majority of 27 needed to remove a prime minister in the 52-seat parliament. Opposition lawmakers boycotted parliament on Thursday and the speaker adjourned the session, saying the chamber could not sit with only 25 members. Kalsakau told broadcaster VBTC the constitution required an absolute majority to change prime minister.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Loughman, Wednesday's, Kirsty Needham, Robert Birsel Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Vanuatu, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, Australia, China, Pacific, United States, Solomon Islands

☆ Vanuatu prime minister to face no confidence vote in parliament
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSYDNEY, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau faces a no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, after the opposition accused his government of abandoning a non-aligned foreign policy by signing a security pact with Australia. The petition, lodged a fortnight ago, was signed by 29 lawmakers, enough to topple the prime minister. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister. Kalsakau has said the constitution requires an absolute majority for the removal of a prime minister. Kalsakau has reshuffled his cabinet in an effort to win support ahead of the vote, with the new deputy prime minister making a show of support for China.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Loughman, Kalsakau, Matai Seremaiah, Samson Samsen, Kirsty Needham, Miral Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Rights, Vanuatu, Trade, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, Australia, China, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands

☆ In New Zealand, defence and security become election issues amid China’s Pacific push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“Foreign policy, defence, our relationship with the Pacific - all of that will be far more relevant and the public will be more conscious of it compared to other elections, where it's been pretty much non-existent,” said Josie Pagani, a political commentator and host of the pre-election foreign policy debate. Sixty-three percent of voters say inflation and the cost of living are a most important issues of the election, a poll by the Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor released in June said. A second survey released last week by the country’s national intelligence and security board found increasing levels of concern about defence, security and foreign policy. Foreign policy doesn't usually play in New Zealand elections, said Jason Young, an associate professor of international relations and politics at Victoria University. The opposition National party, which polls indicate will win control of the government, hasn’t released its defence policy and said it needs more detail about AUKUS.

Persons: it's, ”, Josie Pagani, Andrew Little, “, Chris Seed, Jason Young, Helen Clark, Nanaia Mahuta, hasn’t, Gerry Brownlee, Lucy Craymer, Gerry Doyle Organizations: WELLINGTON, ”, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Victoria University, Washington, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Solomon, Ukraine, Pacific, Zealand, United States, Australia, Britain, “, AUKUS, Zealanders

☆ Vanuatu faces political instability as govt delays no-confidence vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File PhotoSYDNEY, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said political instability in the Pacific Islands nation could impact investment and tourism, after his government boycotted a no-confidence vote in parliament on Thursday. The reasons given for removing the prime minister had "no basis", he added. Loughman drew Vanuatu closer to China as the previous prime minister, until his government lost a snap national election in 2022. In a bid to boost government numbers, Jotham Napat stepped down as foreign minister and deputy prime minister on Monday, allowing a cabinet reshuffle that won back two lawmakers. Loughman countered that he had the numbers to form government next week, Vanuatu Daily Post reported.

Persons: Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Eduardo Munoz, Ishmael Kalsakau, Bob Loughman, Kalsakau, Loughman, Jotham Napat, Kirsty Needham, Stephen Coates Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, REUTERS, Vanuatu, Vanuatu Daily Post, Thomson Locations: Vanuatu, New York City, U.S, China, Australia, Loughman, United States, Beijing, Solomon Islands

☆ I gave up my tech job in Seattle to live on a sailboat. I've fought off pirates at 3 a.m. and it was terrifying — but I'll never go back to my old life.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Brooke Morton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Brian Trautman has spent the past 14 years living on a 53-foot sailboat, sailing to 46 countries. I gave my business partners my year's notice in 2008 and started selling everything to buy a sailboat. Starting my lifelong sailing adventureI bought SV Delos, a 53-foot Amel Super Maramu sailboat, for $390,000 in 2008. We left the boat with my brother and his girlfriend, who continued to sail Delos across the Atlantic to Antigua. When she was 4 months old, all three of us flew back to Antigua to reboard Delos and sail the Caribbean.

Persons: Brian Trautman, Trautman, I'd, Karin, Trautman's, SV Delos merch, we've, We've, Delos merch, Brian Trautman Karin, Karin's, Sierra Trautman, reboard Delos, we'd, Sierra Organizations: Service, Microsoft, SV Delos, Delos, YouTube Locations: Wall, Silicon, Seattle, Caribbean, Redmond, New Zealand, Auckland, South, Fiji, Sweden, Delos, Antigua, Florida, reboard, Mexico, Fatu, Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar

☆ US lawmakers back closer coordination with Pacific islands to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( David Brunnstrom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The sparsely populated nations, whose territories cover vast areas of the Pacific, have relations with the United States governed by so-called Compacts of Free Association. "The strategic location of these islands is integral to our national security, but the lack of direct security channels between our nations creates risk," she added. An Ernst aide said Palau had already established a national security council and the other COFA states were actively considering doing so. He noted that the U.S. has significant military installations on the islands, including high-powered radar on Palau and its main long-range missile testing site in the Marshall Islands. The councils would comprise members of respective COFA states and make use of Pentagon-approved communications equipment to prevent Chinese espionage and allow sharing of intelligence, he said.

Persons: reconvenes, Leah Millis, Joni Ernst, Beijing's, Democrats Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, Ernst, Palau, Joni Ernst's, David Brunnstrom, Louise Heavens Organizations: U.S . Capitol, Republican, REUTERS, Defense, Marshall, Free Association, U.S, Reuters, Democrats, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Palau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, United States, Washington, Marshall, Pacific, U.S, Solomon Islands

☆ Caroline Kennedy recreates JFK's heroic World War II swim
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

John F. Kennedy and his brother Joseph Kennedy Jr, in 1945. JFK’s PT-109 was struck by a Japanese Imperial Navy destroyer in the early morning darkness of August 1, 1943. The swim between Olasana and Naru, which her father made multiple times, was recreated by Ambassador Kennedy on Wednesday. “This place made President Kennedy the man he was. “As a small token of our gratitude, I would like to present you with the last two PT Boat pins that I have, that belonged to President Kennedy,” she said.

Persons: John F, Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy Jr, Jack Schlossberg, “, ” Schlossberg, JFK’s, Ambassador Kennedy, Biuku, Eroni Kumana, ’, ”, ” Caroline Kennedy, JFK, Kumana, one’s Organizations: CNN, US Navy, United, United States ’, Hulton, Twitter, Imperial Navy, Allies, JFK, Navy, Marine Corps, Solomon, Arlington National Cemetery Locations: United States, Australia, Solomon Islands, Dallas, Arlington, Virginia

☆ I tried canned kava, a beverage marketed as an alcohol alternative with a calming effect. It relaxed me, but I couldn't get past the sugary taste.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kava is a beverage common in many Pacific island nations that can help numb and relax you. Several brands of kava beverages have popped up over the last several years, often marketing themselves as alternatives to alcohol. So, I decided to buy some of these canned versions of kava to try them. I picked Leilo and Mitra-9, two of the most widely-distributed kava brands that come in ready-to-drink forms. I also recruited my wife and a couple of friends, all of whom had also grown up in Hawaii and tried kava there, to provide their perspectives.

Persons: it's, It's, Piper methysticum, mainlanders, Leilo, Mitra Organizations: Service, National Institutes of Health Locations: Pacific, Wall, Silicon, Hawaii, Solomon Islands

☆ US not seeking permanent base in Papua New Guinea, defense secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Thursday during a visit to Papua New Guinea that Washington was not seeking a permanent base in the Pacific Islands nation under a new defence agreement. Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the United States signed a defence cooperation agreement in May that sets a framework for the U.S. to refurbish PNG ports and airports for military and civilian use. read moreAustin met with PNG's Prime Minister James Marape on a visit to discuss the deepening defence ties. "I just want to be clear, we are not seeking a permanent base in PNG," Austin told a news conference in the Papua New Guinea capital Port Moresby. He said the two nations were deepening an existing defence relationship, and would modernise PNG's defence force and boost interoperability.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, James Marape, Marape, Kirsty Needham, Alasdair Pal, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry Organizations: Defense, United, PNG's, Beijing, Solomon Islands, China, Thomson Locations: Papua New Guinea, Washington, United States, U.S, Australia, Port Moresby, PNG's, Pacific, China, Taiwan, Solomon, Marape, Philippines, Korea, Sydney

WELLINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday the door was open for New Zealand to engage with the AUKUS weapons development and procurement project between the United States, Britain and Australia. The multi-stage AUKUS project announced in March is planned to culminate in the late 2030s and early 2040s with British and Australian production and operation of a new submarine class - SSN-AUKUS - and include "cutting edge" U.S. technologies. "The door's very much open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see appropriate going forward," Blinken told a news conference in Wellington. And so as we further develop AUKUS, as I said, the door is open to engagement." Blinken is New Zealand for just over a day as part of a three-country visit to the Pacific.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Chris Hipkins, Nanaia Mahuta, “, Mahuta, Renju Jose, Alasdair Pal, Stephen Coates Organizations: WELLINGTON, British, New, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Zealand, United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Wellington, Pacific, Solomon Islands, Solomon, Sydney

☆ Blinken criticises China's 'problematic behaviour' during visit to Tonga
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, July 26, 2023. UPOU VAIPULU/Pool via REUTERSWELLINGTON, July 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of China's "problematic behaviour" during a visit to the Pacific island nation of Tonga on Wednesday, citing Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea and what he called economic coercion. Blinken said at a press conference that the U.S. had no objection to China's engagement with the region but there were concerns that its investments needed to be transparent and undertaken with sustainable finance. "I think one of the things that we’ve seen is that as China’s engagement in the (Indo-Pacific) region has grown there has been some, from our perspective, increasingly problematic behaviour," he said. Blinken said the United States was committed to both Tonga and the broader Pacific Islands.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi, UPOU, Beijing's militarisation, Solomon, Blinken, Siaosi Sovaleni, Joe Biden, Wang Yi, Lloyd Austin, Emmanuel Macron, Sovaleni, Nuku’alofa, Lucy Craymer, Stephen Coates Organizations: Tonga's, REUTERS, Tongan, U.S . Defense, Embassy, Thomson Locations: Nuku'alofa, Tonga, REUTERS WELLINGTON, Pacific, South, U.S, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Washington, China, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Beijing, Wellington , New Zealand

☆ Solomon Islands PM returns from Beijing, calls Australia 'unneighbourly'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 17 (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare returned to Honiara on Monday after a week-long official visit to China, telling reporters Beijing would provide more budget support, and that criticism by Australia was "unneighbourly". The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Solomon Islands' opposition party have called for Sogavare to publish details of a policing deal signed in Beijing last week, amid concern it will invite further regional contest. read moreSogavare told a press conference on Monday in Honiara that Australia and the U.S. should not fear China's police support for Solomon Islands , ABC Television reported. China had agreed to provide budget support for Solomon Islands, he added. Australia has historically been Solomon Islands' largest aid donor and security partner.

Persons: Manesseh Sogavare, Sogavare, Kirsty Needham, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Solomon Islands, ABC Television, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Honiara, China, Beijing, Australia, United States, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, U.S

☆ Chinese military-run hospital ship arrives in Kiribati
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Yew Lun Tian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING, July 16 (Reuters) - A Chinese military-run hospital ship has arrived in Kiribati for the first time, as China vies with the United States for influence in the Pacific region. The ship docked at Kiribati on Saturday to start a seven-day visit that includes humanitarian medical assistance, the Chinese defence ministry said on its official WeChat account on Sunday. While medical crew from the ship will see patients at the local hospital and other places, the Chinese commanding officer will meet with Kiribati leaders including the president, health minister, transport minister and police chief. The ship is also due to visit Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and East Timor. Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yew Lun, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Kiribati, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Kiribati, China, United States, Pacific, Taiwan, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Australia, New Zealand

☆ Solomon Islands says Chinese police to assist cyber, community security
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a statement on Friday, Sogavare's office said the Pacific Islands nation was broadening its security partnerships, and the Chinese police will add to the existing Australia and New Zealand policing support. Riots in the capital Honiara in 2021 exposed gaps in the islands' policing, it said. Opposition leader Matthew Wale said in a statement "policing is different in democracies than in communist countries and democracies must uphold human rights and due process". The issue was not China's supply of security equipment, but the compatibility of Chinese and Pacific policing, said Meg Keen, director of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands programme. Solomon Islands has a population of 700,000, across an archipelago that occupies a strategic position in the Pacific Islands, and was pivotal to the U.S. move west across the Pacific to liberate the Philippines in World War Two.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Sogavare's, Penny Wong, Wang Yi, Sogavare, Matthew Wale, Meg Keen, Lowy, Wale, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Solomon Islands, Australia's, Islands Government, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, New Zealand, China's Global, Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Australia, Beijing, Pacific, China, U.S, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Jakarta, Islands, Honiara, Philippines, Taiwan, Washington, Canberra

☆ Solomon Islands says Chinese police to assist cyber and community security
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Solomon Islands has denied suggestions by Australia and others its policing deal with Beijing is "a threat to the Pacific region peace" and says China will enhance the capability of its 1,500 police officers in cyber security and community policing. Chinese and Solomon Islands police ministers met on Tuesday, pledging to "promote China's police and law enforcement co-operation to a new level," Chinese media reported. In a statement on Friday, Sogavare's office said the Pacific Islands nation was broadening its security partnerships, and the Chinese police will add to the existing Australia and New Zealand policing support. Solomon Islands cooperation with China and all partners are based on the principles of equality and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said. Australia and New Zealand say Pacific security needs should be met within the region.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Li Qiang, Solomon Islands, Sogavare's, Solomon, Penny Wong, Wang Yi Organizations: of, People, Solomon Islands, Australia's Locations: Solomon, Beijing, Australia, Pacific, China, U.S, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Jakarta

☆ Podcast: Hollywood strike, Russia-Iran tensions and a do-or-die pitch for DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Hollywood faces a total shutdown as actors prepare to join screenwriters on the picket line. Ron DeSantis’ campaign focuses on Iowa in a bid to close the gap on Trump. Plus, why the Solomon Islands’ closer ties to China have the U.S. and Australia worried and the decades old dispute that’s caused diplomatic tension between Iran and Russia. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Hollywood, Trump, Thomson, Reading Hollywood Locations: Iowa, Solomon, China, Australia, Iran, Russia, DeSantis Solomon Islands, Russian

☆ Solomon Islands signs China policing deal in upgrade of ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

China and the Solomon Islands on Monday signed a deal on police cooperation as part of an upgrade of their relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” four years after the Pacific nation switched ties from Taiwan to China. “In just four years, the relationship between China and the Solomon Islands has developed rapidly, and we can now say that it is very fruitful,” Li told Sogavare. China will continue to provide assistance to the Solomon Islands to enhance its law enforcement capacity, according to a joint statement released by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. China has long supported so-called South-South cooperation, which refers to cooperation between developing nations as equals for mutual benefit. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is already building a cellular network in the Solomon Islands, financed by a $66 million Chinese EXIM bank loan.

Persons: ”, Manasseh Sogavare, Premier Li Qiang, Sogavare, Solomon, ” Li, Washington “, ’ Sogavare, Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi Organizations: Solomon Islands, Premier, “, US National Security Council, Xinhua, Huawei, “ Sports, Pacific Games Locations: China, Solomon Islands, Pacific, Taiwan, Beijing, United States, Australia, Taipei, Solomon, Japan, Britain, Honiara

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