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☆ Fossil fuels are the new nukes: Pacific island nations at risk from rising sea levels support a nonproliferation treaty for oil and gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Leaders from Pacific island nations at risk from the climate crisis gathered last week in Vanuatu. The nations of Vanuatu and Tuvalu support a treaty to limit fossil-fuel use. Public and private financing for fossil fuels is also still greater than investment in climate adaptation and mitigation. Developing countries need financing to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, Berman said. "A fossil-fuel treaty could shift the social norm and make expansion unacceptable within foreign policy," Berman said.

☆ China firm wins Solomon Islands port project as Australia watches on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Solomon Islands and China have consistently denied that their security pact would allow a naval base. The Solomon Islands Infrastructure Development Ministry has said that there will be no expansion of the port for dual use," a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday evening. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the Solomon Islands government said in a statement. "It is not about bases it is about access," Connolly, a former military officer, said, referring to the security pact between Honiara and Beijing.

☆ China firm wins tender to redevelop Solomon Islands port
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"This will be upgrading the old international port in Honiara and two domestic wharves in the provinces," Qaqara said. The Solomon Islands and China have denied the security pact would allow a naval base, however. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the government said in a statement. Writing in the Australian Foreign Affairs this month, Connolly noted that ADB infrastructure contracts in the Pacific islands had been dominated by Chinese state companies who offered the lowest bids.

☆ New Zealand foreign minister to meet Chinese counterpart in Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 20 (Reuters) - New Zealand's foreign minister, Nanaia Mahuta, will travel to China on Tuesday to meet her counterpart Qin Gang on the first such visit by a New Zealand minister since 2019. "New Zealand's relationship with China is one of our most important, complex and wide ranging," she said in a statement. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealand's position on China had not changed. Hipkins said he had not "certainly taken off the table" a trip to China this year. Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan discusses security in first foreign minister visit to Solomon Islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, March 19 (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed global security and China's presence in the Pacific with the leader of the Solomon Islands on Sunday, in what was the first visit by a Japanese foreign minister to the island state. Hayashi said Japan was "watching the developments" of a security pact the Solomon Islands signed with China last year, and discussed the current global security environment with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, according to a statement by Japan's foreign ministry. The visit took place a year after the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands prompted concern from the United States and Australia as China seeks to extend its influence in the region. Japan said it was ready to provide assistance in maritime security, as it seeks partnerships in Pacific Island countries in promoting regional peace and stability through its Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, according to Japan's foreign ministry. Sogavare said he hoped Japan will ensure the safety of the release and be open about the process, according to the statement.

☆ Pacific's Micronesia in talks to switch ties from Beijing to Taiwan- letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

We can and will receive this, over a three year period, if and when we establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan," he wrote. In the letter, Panuelo accused China of waging "political warfare" in his country, and bribing his government's officials. Beijing and Taiwan have a history of competing in the Pacific islands, where four of Taiwan's 14 diplomatic allies are located. Two Pacific island nations, Kiribati and Solomon Islands, cut diplomatic ties with democratically ruled Taiwan in 2019 after offers of aid from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory. Reporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Opposition in majority in key Solomon Islands province after anti-China leader ousted
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The opposition has taken a majority in the assembly of the most populous Solomon Islands province after Daniel Suidani, a vocal critic of the country's relationship with China, lost a no-confidence vote, an adviser to the ousted leader said on Wednesday. Celsus Talifilu, the adviser, said in an interview if a new government is formed in Malaita province, it would back the federal government's pro-China stance. Suidani is a long-time critic of the country's deepening relations with China and vocally opposed the Solomon Island’s switching recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019. A government spokesperson in Honiara said that following the no-confidence vote on Tuesday, those who had voted against Suidani were now in talks to propose a new leader. However, Suidani and his supporters boycotted the vote as they were waiting for the court to hear an application to delay the vote, Talifilu said.

☆ Solomon Islands ousts official critical of close relations with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Daniel Suidani, premier of the South Pacific nation's Malaita province, is a longtime critic of the country's deepening relations with China, which culminated in a security pact signed last April. Malaita's provincial assembly ousted Suidani in a unanimous vote on Tuesday, said the ABC. Suidani and his supporters boycotted the vote, ABC said, adding he had not yet spoken to the media about the results. Flights are delayed in Auki, the capital of Malaita, the ABC reported. Residents of Malaita opposed the decision by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's government in 2019 to formally recognise China instead of Taiwan.

☆ Solomon Islands ousts official who is critical of close relations with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Daniel Suidani, the premier of Malaita, pictured outside his office in Auki on Oct. 03, 2021. A longtime critic of the country's deepening relations with China, Suidani was removed from office on Feb. 2023 after a no-confidence vote by the provincial legislature. A vocal critic of China and leader of the most populous province in the Solomon Islands has been removed from office after a no-confidence vote by the provincial legislature on Tuesday, Australian state broadcaster ABC reported. Daniel Suidani, premier of the South Pacific nation's Malaita province, is a longtime critic of the country's deepening relations with China, which culminated in a security pact signed last April. Malaita's provincial assembly ousted Suidani in a unanimous vote on Tuesday, said the ABC.

☆ U.S. opens embassy in Solomon Islands to counter China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An aerial view of ships and boats anchored at the harbour in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Gilmore Tana | iStock | Getty ImagesThe United States opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands on Thursday in its latest move to counter China's push into the Pacific. The embassy in the capital, Honiara, is starting small, with a chargé d'affaires, a couple of State Department staff and a handful of local employees. The U.S. State Department notified lawmakers early last year that China's growing influence in the region made reopening the Solomon Islands embassy a priority. The Solomon Islands switched allegiance from the self-ruled island of Taiwan to Beijing in 2019, threatening the close ties with the U.S. that date to World War II.

☆ U.S. opens embassy in Solomon Islands, Blinken says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The United States has opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands after a 30-year absence as it seeks to boost diplomatic relations in the Pacific as a counter to China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced plans to open a diplomatic mission in the Pacific island nation during a visit to the region last year. The last U.S. embassy in the Solomons closed in 1993 amid post-Cold War budget cuts and the United States was represented there by an ambassador based in Papua New Guinea. In a statement on Wednesday, Blinken said the State Department informed the Solomon Islands' government that the opening of the new embassy in the capital Honiara became official as of Jan. 27. The reopening of the embassy in the Solomons comes as Washington has been negotiating the renewal of cooperation agreements with three key Pacific island nations, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau.

☆ Australia to speed up purchase of sea mines to shore up maritime defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Australia said on Monday it would accelerate plans to buy advanced sea mines to protect its maritime routes and ports from "potential aggressors" amid China's plans to increase its influence in the Pacific region. The so-called smart sea mines are designed to differentiate between military targets and other types of ships, a defence department spokesperson said in a statement. "(Australia) is accelerating the acquisition of smart sea mines, which will help to secure sea lines of communication and protect Australia's maritime approaches," it said. The federal government will soon announce a contract to buy "a substantial number" of sea mines from a European weapons supplier, the report said, citing unidentified defence industry sources. So we have looked at missile defence, we're looking at cyber security, we're looking at all of these issues," Albanese said.

☆ The US relied on a secret force of Japanese-Americans to win World War II in the Pacific — while their families were locked up at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Katie Sanders | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Japanese-American Nisei soldiers at US Army Military Intelligence Service language school. Not many people know that we had Japanese-Americans fighting the Pacific war. The very first Japanese language school was started by the Army a months before Pearl Harbor. A US Army Nisei soldier gives water to a child in Okinawa. US Army Nisei soldiers interrogating a Japanese prisoner of war.

☆ Australia's Wong to visit Pacific in bipartisan effort to boost ties
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The group comprises Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, senior government minister Pat Conroy, and their opposition counterparts, the politicians said in a joint statement on Sunday. Discussions would cover development objectives, the "existential threat" of climate change, and key regional security issues, the politicians said in their statement. The group, while in Vanuatu, would attend a ceremony for the handover of a new wharf and police boat "as part of Australia’s enduring cooperation on shared regional security interests". "I am pleased we are ... demonstrating Australia’s enduring commitment to strengthening our Pacific partnerships and addressing regional challenges,” Wong said. It is the first government-led bipartisan visit to Pacific island countries since 2019, they said.

☆ New Zealand's Ardern hopes to lead trade mission to China once border controls allow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday she hoped to lead a trade mission to China once border settings are changed to allow travel to her country's biggest trading partner as it emerges from the pandemic. Ardern said New Zealand's trade and economic links with China have proven resilient, despite the challenges of COVID. Delivering a speech marking 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ardern said New Zealand's relationship with China was important but complex and evolving. Ardern said "we continue to recognise that there are areas where China and New Zealand do not agree, where our interests or world view differ." While Australia's relationship with China has deteriorated, New Zealand and China's interactions have remained largely cordial.

☆ New Zealand Navy idles ships as labour crisis hits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The bottom line is "workforce issues are impacting ship availability to deliver naval outputs," an August note from the Chief of the Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short to the Minister of Defence said. The Defence Force said in May that it would spend 90 million New Zealand dollars ($57 million) over four years to raise the salaries of the lowest-paid workers. Having so few ships available makes it harder for the navy to handle multiple challenges at once, a New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) spokesperson said. New Zealand's Defence Force is also dealing with ageing equipment and a large number of personnel being assigned to border quarantine facilities. Minister of Defence Peeni Henare acknowledged in an email that staff losses were hurting the Defence Force, but said the government was committed to rebuilding it.

☆ With eye on China, US to boost military forces in Australia – and ‘invite’ Japan to join in
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United States will increase the rotational presence of air, land and sea forces in Australia, including bomber aircraft and fighter jets, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday, amid shared concerns about China. Australia’s Northern Territory is already host to frequent military collaborations with the US. Thousands of US Marines rotate through the territory annually for training and joint exercises, started under former President Barack Obama. Just before last year’s AUSMIN talks, the US, United Kingdom and Australia created a security deal, known as AUKUS, that will provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines. The two sides said they had further discussions on that issue and Britain’s Defense Minister Ben Wallace will attend a first in-person meeting of AUKUS ministers on Wednesday in Washington.

☆ China holds policing discussion with officials of Pacific island nations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Nov 23 (Reuters) - China said it held a video meeting to discuss police cooperation with several Pacific island nations on Tuesday, with at least two nations telling Reuters their ministers and police commissioners were unavailable to attend. read moreThose concerns were first sparked when Solomon Islands struck a security pact with China in April. The video meeting, co-chaired with Solomon Islands Minister of Police Anthony Veke, took place after two powerful earthquakes struck Solomon Islands on Tuesday. A photograph posted to the Twitter account of the Chinese embassy in Fiji showed Veke as the only Pacific islands minister at the video meeting. read moreAt a White House summit in September, the United States pledged to boost aid and step up FBI training for Pacific islands including the Solomon Islands.

☆ No tsunami warning for Solomon Islands after 7.0 earthquake off coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Authorities in the Solomon Islands said no tsunami warning would be issued after two earthquakes on Tuesday afternoon, including one with a magnitude of 7.0 just off the southwest coast. The Solomon Islands Meteorological Service said there is no tsunami threat to the country, but warned about unusual sea currents in coastal areas. Widespread power outages are being reported across the island and the Solomon Islands Broadcasting said in a statement on Facebook that all radio services were off air. The National Disaster Management Office said it has received reports that people felt the quake but are waiting for reports of damage. Seismology Fiji said the quake did not pose an immediate tsunami threat to the archipelago nation roughly 2,000 km to the southeast.

☆ From Pacific to Red Sea: climate court action gathers wave of support
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Climate activists stand next to banners as they take part in a protest during the COP27 climate summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, November 18, 2022. As climate change has accelerated the rise of sea levels, Vanuatu and other low-lying island states and coastal communities face particular risk from storms and flooding. An advisory opinion by the court would not be binding in any jurisdiction, but could underpin future climate negotiations by clarifying what financial obligations countries have on climate change, and define it as a human rights issue. At a demonstration on Wednesday rallying support for the ICJ to take an advisory opinion, some of the law students were joined by allies from different countries. An ICJ opinion would send a clear signal to governments that hesitate to take decisive action at climate talks, said Solomon Yeo from the Solomon Islands, another Pacific island law student.

☆ Aid spending soared to record level in Pacific islands as COVID-19 hit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Lowy Institute's annual Pacific Aid Map showed Chinese aid to the region dropped to $187 million in 2020, its lowest since the institute began tracking aid flows in 2008. Chinese aid, predominantly loans for infrastructure, had peaked in 2016. The project director of the Pacific Aid Map, Alexandre Dayant, said development assistance remained a diplomatic tool for Beijing, with regional aid focusing on Kiribati and Solomon Islands, which switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing a year earlier. Australia last week said it would spend another A$900 million ($576.99 million) in Pacific aid. The United States has also pledged $800 million more after hosting a dozen Pacific islands leaders at a White House summit in September.

☆ World Bank warns Solomon Islands of unsustainable debt without reform
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The Solomon Islands will need to implement fiscal reforms such as alterations to its tax system and more efficient public spending or its debt levels may become unsustainable, the World Bank said in a report on Wednesday. With the Solomon Islands implementing a large public investment programme and facing declining logging revenue, fiscal reform will be vital to managing debt levels and securing hard-fought development gains, the bank said. "Without reform, Solomon Islands’ debt may become unsustainable," the bank said. If changes are not made, public debt will reach the government threshold of 35% of gross domestic product (GDP) as early as 2026, it said. McKinnie Dentana, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, said in a statement the Solomon Islands had worked closely with the World Bank in preparing the report and it provided useful guidance.

☆ Australia pledges millions for police deployments in Solomon Islands
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Renju Jose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Australia will set aside A$46 million ($29 million) to fund police deployments in Solomon Islands in next week's budget, part of an increase in spending in the Pacific intended to shore up its standing in the region as China seeks greater influence. China's increasing presence in the Pacific, including entering a security pact with Solomon Islands in April, has raised concerns for the United States and ally Australia, who have for decades seen the region as largely their sphere of influence. The move comes a day after Australia and Fiji signed an agreement to allow the operation of militaries in each other's country. Australia also wants to strike a security treaty with Papua New Guinea that will see their respective defence personnel working alongside each other more often. On Friday, that figure was boosted to A$900 million, which includes the A$46 million for Solomon Islands police.

☆ Australia, Fiji militaries to work alongside each other
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Australia and Fiji have signed an agreement to allow the operation of each nation's militaries in the other country, with ministers describing it as a significant step for security cooperation. South Pacific defence ministers met in Tonga earlier this week, with Australia seeking a closer military relationship with the three island nations that have defence forces - Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga - to counter China's security push in the region. Marles said the Status of Forces agreement signed with Fiji on Thursday, giving a legal framework for the presence of one country's forces in another, was rare for Australia and would allow a closer working relationship between the defence forces. Fiji's defence minister Inia Seruiratu said the defence forces trained and deployed together across the region, and the agreement brought "a new height of security cooperation". Australia is also negotiating a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea.

"U.S. prosperity and security depend on the Pacific region remaining free and open," it said, noting that Pacific island countries faced urgent challenges, most notably from the climate crisis, but also heightened geopolitical tensions. Leaders and representatives from 14 Pacific island states are taking part in the summit. read moreThe official also said Biden would designate career diplomat Frankie Reed as the first U.S. envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum. The U.S. strategy document says the United States would partner with Pacific islands to help them adapt to and manage the climate crisis, an "existential threat" to their lives, health, and livelihoods. Strategic competition in the Pacific intensified dramatically this year after China signed a security agreement with the Solomons, prompting warnings of militarization of the region.

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