https://www.scmp.com/rss/109645/feed The United States and Vanuatu established diplomatic relations in 1986, six years after Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom. The US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea is also accredited to Vanuatu. US representation is handled by the US Embassy in Papua New Guinea. Peace Corps maintains a country office in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The United States and Vanuatu share a commitment to strengthening democracy, enhancing security, and promoting development. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Vanuatu’s leader hopes to strengthen his country’s presence in Hong Kong as the Pacific island nation looks to tap the city’s regulatory expertise, financial markets and investment opportunities. Prime Minister Jotham Napat said on Wednesday that his country had established a “communication mechanism” during his trip to Hong Kong, to improve coordination and deepen ties with the financial hub. He called the visit a “pivotal moment” for bilateral relations, with his delegation holding high-level... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3341566/vanuatu-seeks-hong-kongs-regulatory-expertise-woos-investors-and-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3341566/vanuatu-seeks-hong-kongs-regulatory-expertise-woos-investors-and-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:56:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Papua New Guinea’s cabinet has approved a bilateral defence treaty with near neighbour Australia, paving the way for the nations’ leaders to sign a landmark agreement that US allies hope will curb Chinese influence in the region. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape confirmed on Thursday that the treaty had been formally approved by his cabinet. “Australia has only one other mutual defence treaty of this type and at our request Papua New Guinea will now sign this treaty,” Marape said in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327653/australia-and-papua-new-guinea-forge-historic-defence-pact-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327653/australia-and-papua-new-guinea-forge-historic-defence-pact-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:52:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pacific Island leaders issued a call for an “ocean of peace” on Wednesday, urging respect for their sovereignty at a summit clouded by China’s alleged meddling and great power competition in the strategically vital region. After a day of largely closed-door talks in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara, the 18 Pacific Islands Forum leaders endorsed a Fiji-backed push for a statement proclaiming the region’s cohesion and its desire for peace and climate action. A heavy police presence guarded... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3325042/pacific-islands-leaders-call-ocean-peace-forum-after-china-claims-make-waves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3325042/pacific-islands-leaders-call-ocean-peace-forum-after-china-claims-make-waves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:15:21 +0000 Kalinga Seneviratne Kalinga Seneviratne In a unanimous decision, a 15-member bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague in the Netherlands ruled on July 23 that government failures to protect vulnerable populations and ecosystems from climate change could amount to breaches of international law. The court’s non-binding ruling, which says that countries must comply with climate treaties, has been hailed as a great victory for youth activism from small island nations facing the brunt of the climate crisis. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3319809/world-courts-ruling-opens-door-wider-climate-justice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3319809/world-courts-ruling-opens-door-wider-climate-justice?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Yulu Ao Yulu Ao Vanuatu is seeking closer ties with Hong Kong to support its ambitions in digital finance and economic diversification as the South Pacific island nation positions itself as a gateway for collaboration between the Global South and Asia. The country is entering a new era of economic stability with a renewed focus on infrastructure, digital transformation and international commercial engagement, according to Deputy Prime Minister Johnny Koanapo Rasou. “We’ve gone through years of [political]... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3319752/vanuatu-looks-hong-kong-support-digital-finance-plans-economic-transformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3319752/vanuatu-looks-hong-kong-support-digital-finance-plans-economic-transformation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A landmark ruling by the United Nations’ top court has found that governments, and by extension corporations, could be in breach of international law if they fail to take adequate action on climate change. Legal experts say the decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is likely to accelerate climate litigation, bolster demands for reparations from vulnerable nations and shape future lawsuits against both states and fossil fuel producers. In its first advisory opinion on the climate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3319421/un-ruling-offers-lifeline-climate-threatened-communities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3319421/un-ruling-offers-lifeline-climate-threatened-communities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Reuters Reuters Tuvalu, a tiny Pacific nation that scientists predict will be submerged by rising seas, said it was seeking written assurance from the United States that its citizens would not be barred from entry after being apparently mistakenly included in a list of 36 countries facing visa bans. An internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio showed the United States, which has already barred entry for citizens from 12 countries, was considering expanding travel restrictions to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3316568/tiny-pacific-nations-fear-us-travel-bans-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3316568/tiny-pacific-nations-fear-us-travel-bans-why?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 02:02:08 +0000 Nicole Cheah Nicole Cheah Pacific island nations are racing to enhance marine conservation, establishing sweeping “no-take” zones and pledging to sustainably manage vast swathes of their territorial waters despite facing limited resources and geopolitical pressure. Among them, Samoa last month unveiled a ban on fishing, mining and other extractive activities over 30 per cent of its ocean territory by 2027. The move will create 36,000 sq km (13,900 square miles) of marine protected areas (MPAs) – more than 12 times the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3315979/pacific-island-nations-tap-indigenous-know-how-safeguard-ocean-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3315979/pacific-island-nations-tap-indigenous-know-how-safeguard-ocean-health?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 01:30:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters Less than half of working-age women are employed across Pacific island nations due to outdated laws and other barriers, the World Bank said in a new report on Tuesday. The World Bank economic update for the Pacific, which said closing the gender gap could boost economic growth, also forecast regional growth slowing to 2.6 per cent this year, down from 5.5 per cent in 2023. With 57 per cent or around 500,000 women not in work across the Pacific, the report said boosting female participation to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3314696/most-pacific-island-women-dont-work-world-bank-wants-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3314696/most-pacific-island-women-dont-work-world-bank-wants-change?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2025 04:03:08 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Vanuatu has vowed to close loopholes in its “golden passport” scheme and take steps to nullify citizenship granted to influencer Andrew Tate, who reportedly bought the island nation’s travel document before he was arrested in Romania on charges of rape and human trafficking. Tate obtained the passport in December 2022 through a programme that allows foreigners to buy citizenship for US$130,000, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said in a statement on Monday. That... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3312997/vanuatu-seeks-cancel-andrew-tates-golden-passport-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3312997/vanuatu-seeks-cancel-andrew-tates-golden-passport-citizenship?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Jun 2025 06:23:40 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun A charity led by a former Hong Kong leader that offers overseas aid will promote traditional Chinese medicine treatments in the African nation Djibouti this year and plans to expand its operations to at least two more countries, its head has said. GX Foundation CEO Emily Chan Ying-yang said on Thursday that the charity was cooperating with Djibouti’s Ministry of Health to introduce traditional Chinese medicines registered in Hong Kong to the country to support local primary health services. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3312352/hong-kong-charity-aims-bring-traditional-chinese-medicine-african-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3312352/hong-kong-charity-aims-bring-traditional-chinese-medicine-african-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 14:37:00 +0000 Christopher Cottrell Christopher Cottrell Phuket’s popularity with Russian and Chinese visitors is drawing Vanuatu’s citizenship-for-sale business to Thailand in a bid to cash in. While some law enforcement officials warn that Asia’s booming passport trade is fuelling cross-border crime and illicit finance, the strike-it-rich mood in Phuket remains undeterred. Investment Economics Ltd – a company owned by Russian nationals who also hold Vanuatu citizenship – has opened a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) office on Phuket, offering... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3309755/new-office-vanuatu-golden-visas-phuket-puts-citizenship-sale-risks-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3309755/new-office-vanuatu-golden-visas-phuket-puts-citizenship-sale-risks-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2025 09:45:51 +0000 If America wanted to convince Southeast Asia to side together against China, Donald Trump’s “universal” tariffs have just shot the nation in one foot. If the idea was to militarise the South Pacific – by pressuring those tiny island states to go along – with help from Australia under the Aukus military alliance – America has blown off its other foot. I can imagine Xi Jinping quoting Napoleon, who famously told his generals to hold their horses during a major campaign. “Gentlemen,” he said, “let... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3305413/united-states-not-china-turns-out-be-real-bogeyman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3305413/united-states-not-china-turns-out-be-real-bogeyman?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Apr 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Australia’s recent courtship of several Pacific island nations signals Canberra’s commitment to the region, but it is not expected to gain any lasting benefits from the outreach amid its competition with China over short-term deals, according to analysts. On December 20, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country would spend A$190 million (US$118 million) over four years to boost the Solomon Islands’ police force and create a police training centre in its capital... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292755/australia-taking-myopic-approach-wooing-pacific-nations-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3292755/australia-taking-myopic-approach-wooing-pacific-nations-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2024 08:24:26 +0000 The death toll from Vanuatu’s earthquake disaster continued to rise this week, leading to urgent international search and rescue operations to assist those affected by the initial quake and its subsequent aftershocks. On Tuesday afternoon, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck 30km (18.6 miles) off the west coast of Efate, the main island of Vanuatu. The quake, which occurred at a depth of just 50km (31 miles), caused significant damage to numerous buildings and injured dozens of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3291744/why-vanuatu-should-expect-more-aftershocks-and-maybe-another-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3291744/why-vanuatu-should-expect-more-aftershocks-and-maybe-another-earthquake?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2024 04:00:21 +0000 People remained trapped in a collapsed building in Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila on Wednesday a day after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Pacific nation, killing 14 people including two Chinese nationals. Three people were communicating with rescue teams from beneath the rubble of one building, while two survivors had been pulled from the ruins of another, Police Commissioner Robson Iavro said. “We believe there are more stuck inside,” Iavro said in a video message. As aftershocks continued... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3291324/2-chinese-among-victims-vanuatu-earthquake-death-toll-rises-14?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3291324/2-chinese-among-victims-vanuatu-earthquake-death-toll-rises-14?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:22:25 +0000 An earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila on Tuesday, damaging buildings and cars with at least one person reported killed. Vanuatu state broadcaster VBTC showed footage of vehicles crushed in a building collapse on a street lined with retailers. The broadcaster reported one person had been trapped in a collapsed building. Police said at least one person had been killed and injured people had been taken to hospital, Dan McGarry, a journalist with the Organised Crime and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3291135/buildings-pancaked-vanuatu-74-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-pacific-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3291135/buildings-pancaked-vanuatu-74-magnitude-earthquake-rocks-pacific-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2024 05:22:02 +0000 The US and Britain underscored their commitment to a unified approach on China as the long-time allies opened a new bilateral strategic dialogue in London on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stressed the importance of their countries liaising on global issues, including their stance towards Beijing, at a news conference at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Lammy, who was named Britain’s top diplomat following the Labour... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3278015/us-britain-stress-unity-towards-china-new-strategic-dialogue-opens-london?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3278015/us-britain-stress-unity-towards-china-new-strategic-dialogue-opens-london?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2024 19:20:54 +0000 Washington’s No 2 diplomat concluded his Pacific tour on Friday with a focus on tensions in the South China Sea and boosting Nato’s ties in the Indo-Pacific vis-à-vis Beijing amid controversy over support for Taiwan at a high-profile regional gathering. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell had been travelling in the strategically vital region since Wednesday for the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ summit in Tonga. The US is one of the PIF’s more than 20 dialogue partners, alongside China,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3276663/no-2-us-diplomat-ends-pacific-tour-bolster-regional-ties-taiwan-flap-rankles-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3276663/no-2-us-diplomat-ends-pacific-tour-bolster-regional-ties-taiwan-flap-rankles-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:18:38 +0000 The United Nations and climate activists have pressed developed nations such as Australia to further curb fossil fuel emissions at a key annual Pacific leaders’ forum in Tonga, amid warnings of the “grave danger” of rising sea levels. Leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting on Wednesday also separately endorsed a Canberra-led regional policing initiative, a move seen as a means to limit China’s security influence in the region. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3276312/australia-urged-cut-fossil-fuel-emissions-pacific-nations-back-landmark-policing-plan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3276312/australia-urged-cut-fossil-fuel-emissions-pacific-nations-back-landmark-policing-plan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Aug 2024 01:00:17 +0000 China has donated a presidential building complex in Vanuatu while Australia and New Zealand inaugurated an airfield worth A$55 million (US$36.55 million) in neighbouring Solomon Islands, amid competition for influence in the Pacific Islands region. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters was in the Solomon Islands on Tuesday to hand over the airfield in Western Province, funded by New Zealand and Australia. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, also at the ceremony, is expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3268798/china-gifts-pacific-nation-vanuatu-sweeping-new-presidential-palace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3268798/china-gifts-pacific-nation-vanuatu-sweeping-new-presidential-palace?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2024 02:31:03 +0000 Hong Kong’s revised cash-for-residency scheme has received 251 applications and 43 of them have been given in-principle approval, the city’s financial services and treasury chief has revealed. More than 75 per of the applicants were from Guinea-Bissau in West Africa and Vanuatu in the southwestern Pacific. There were 100 applications from Guinea-Bissau and 92 from Vanuatu. Christopher Hui Ching-yu told legislators more than HK$7.5 billion (US$960 million) would be injected into the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3266360/hong-kongs-new-cash-residency-scheme-gets-251-applications-end-may-legco-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3266360/hong-kongs-new-cash-residency-scheme-gets-251-applications-end-may-legco-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:38:38 +0000 The Solomon Islands has “locked in” ties with China after lawmakers chose another pro-Beijing prime minister, even though its government is expected to face greater scrutiny and demand for transparency in its engagement with Chinese officials, analysts say. On Thursday, the lawmakers picked Jeremiah Manele as their prime minister, who beat his opponent Matthew Wale in a 31-18 count. He succeeded Manasseh Sogavare, who was also seen as a staunch supporter of China. Manele has said he will... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261386/solomon-islands-locks-china-ties-another-pro-beijing-leader-bilateral-security-pact-still-rankles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261386/solomon-islands-locks-china-ties-another-pro-beijing-leader-bilateral-security-pact-still-rankles?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 11:29:49 +0000 The United States’ coastguard has rejected comments by a Chinese diplomat that its recent boardings of Chinese fishing boats in the Pacific alongside local police are illegal, saying the joint patrols are at the behest of Pacific nations to protect coastal fisheries. Six Chinese fishing boats were reportedly found to be violating Vanuatu’s fisheries law last month after being inspected by local police who were on board the first US Coast Guard boat to patrol the waters of the Pacific island... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258467/us-coastguard-rejects-chinese-claim-it-illegally-boarded-fishing-boats-pacific-host-nations-invite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258467/us-coastguard-rejects-chinese-claim-it-illegally-boarded-fishing-boats-pacific-host-nations-invite?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Apr 2024 04:33:52 +0000 Pacific Islanders have railed at the “catastrophic” implications of the failure of world leaders at Cop28 to agree a hard stop to the use of fossil fuels, and are now turning inward for solutions in a desperate bid to protect communities at extreme risk of vanishing beneath the sea. There are 2.3 million people across the Pacific nations, keepers of old, unique cultures facing the prospect of vanishing beneath the waves as temperatures rise, with nations like Kiribati and Tuvalu forecast to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3245480/pacific-nations-biggest-risk-rising-sea-levels-condemn-cop28-deal-disaster-humankind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3245480/pacific-nations-biggest-risk-rising-sea-levels-condemn-cop28-deal-disaster-humankind?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2023 11:00:11 +0000 Fiji’s deal to partner China to develop its ports and shipbuilding industry has raised questions over the wider security implications of waving in Belt and Road Initiative projects, experts say, as well as fears over who picks up the tab in small, indebted Pacific nations. With an economy worth just US$4.8 billion and home to fewer than 1 million people, Fiji sits in waters between Australia and Hawaii, where deep water port access appeals to Beijing as the contest for influence across the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3243118/fiji-woos-china-upgrade-strategically-important-ports-even-debt-concerns-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3243118/fiji-woos-china-upgrade-strategically-important-ports-even-debt-concerns-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:30:12 +0000 The leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands will not attend this week’s annual Pacific Islands Forum, posing a challenge for regional unity amid competition for influence between China and the United States. The Melanesian nations, which have been courted by China and the US for security and economic ties in the strategic South Pacific, will instead send ministers to the 18-member bloc meeting opening in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on Monday. Papua New Guinea will be represented by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3240480/cracks-emerge-pacific-island-unity-3-leaders-skip-annual-bloc-meeting-amid-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3240480/cracks-emerge-pacific-island-unity-3-leaders-skip-annual-bloc-meeting-amid-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:27:17 +0000 The White House on Monday welcomed leaders from 16 Pacific island nations and territories, its latest high-profile response to China’s decades-long strategic focus on the region. Speaking ahead of the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit and flanked by his guests, US President Joe Biden contended that Washington had delivered on last year’s promise of rebooting diplomatic ties with the region. “One of the great opportunities for security, prosperity and dignity for all our people, no matter where... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3235792/joe-biden-unveils-pacific-nations-aid-embassies-us-hosted-summit-solomon-islands-pm-sits-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3235792/joe-biden-unveils-pacific-nations-aid-embassies-us-hosted-summit-solomon-islands-pm-sits-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 22:25:22 +0000 When the White House hosts Pacific island leaders on Monday, exactly a year after their first-ever US-led summit in September 2022, President Joe Biden will follow up on his commitment to raise American engagement in the region to the “next level”, according to senior administration officials. “You will see, over the course of a few days, our commitment to reopen embassies,” said one official. “USAID is back in force in the Pacific. The Peace Corps has arrived in many of the islands that they’ve... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3235655/us-back-force-pacific-biden-hosts-regional-leaders-summit-vows-reopen-embassies-following-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3235655/us-back-force-pacific-biden-hosts-regional-leaders-summit-vows-reopen-embassies-following-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Sep 2023 17:13:18 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Chinese criminals have a new must-have in their villains’ tool kits to cross borders, evade jail and wash the billions of dollars sucked up from phone scams, online gambling and pyramid schemes across Asia: passports from Cambodia, Cyprus, and even the tiny South Pacific island of Vanuatu. This “citizenship for sale” phenomenon has come under renewed scrutiny since Singapore’s August 15 seizure of US$1.3 billion in assets – and arrest of 10 Chinese suspects holding a cornucopia of other... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3234760/citizenship-sale-singapores-u13-billion-money-laundering-probe-exposes-chinese-criminals-paid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3234760/citizenship-sale-singapores-u13-billion-money-laundering-probe-exposes-chinese-criminals-paid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Sep 2023 01:30:13 +0000 Three sailors from Russia and France have been rescued after the inflatable catamaran they were trying to navigate from Vanuatu to Australia came under attack from sharks, authorities said. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said it responded to an alert from an emergency beacon at about 1.30am. When rescuers arrived at the scene on Wednesday more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the Australian coast in the Coral Sea, they found both hulls of the men’s 9-metre (30-foot) boat had... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3233699/australia-rescues-3-sailors-after-sharks-attacked-their-inflatable-boat-coral-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3233699/australia-rescues-3-sailors-after-sharks-attacked-their-inflatable-boat-coral-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2023 06:10:23 +0000 Vanuatu’s parliament elected Sato Kilman as the nation’s new prime minister on Monday after a court upheld a vote of no-confidence in the nation’s former leader and amid China-US rivalry in Pacific Islands. Kilman, a former prime minister and leader of the People’s Progressive Party, was elected prime minister by 27 of 50 lawmakers in a secret ballot. Vanuatu was plunged into political crisis last month when opposition parties lodged a no-confidence petition criticising then leader Ishmael... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3233350/vanuatu-replaces-pro-west-pm-kalsakau-sato-kilman-who-wants-closer-beijing-ties-amid-china-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3233350/vanuatu-replaces-pro-west-pm-kalsakau-sato-kilman-who-wants-closer-beijing-ties-amid-china-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Sep 2023 09:38:07 +0000 Four Pacific Islands leaders arrived in Vanuatu to consider declaring a “neutral” position amid an intense contest between the United States and China, against the backdrop of a political crisis in the host nation. The leaders of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji and New Caledonia’s ruling FLNKS party, members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), will meet for two days from tomorrow at the National Convention Centre, officials said. Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister Matai... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3231936/4-pacific-islands-leaders-meet-amid-political-crisis-seek-peace-and-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3231936/4-pacific-islands-leaders-meet-amid-political-crisis-seek-peace-and-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:25:54 +0000 China has sent two coastguard ships on fisheries patrols in the northern Pacific as the country extends its reach farther from its shores. The Qushan and the Haimen left Shanghai on Friday on a mission that is expected to last several weeks in waters where hundreds of Chinese fishing boats operate every year. “Carrying out law enforcement patrols on the high seas is an important move to fulfil China’s international obligations and to show itself as a responsible big country,” state broadcaster... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229313/chinese-coastguard-ships-sent-fisheries-patrol-mission-northern-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229313/chinese-coastguard-ships-sent-fisheries-patrol-mission-northern-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 21:56:06 +0000 Antony Blinken on Wednesday became the United States’ first secretary of state to visit Tonga, dedicating a new US embassy and warning South Pacific nations about the perils of “predatory” Chinese investment. As part of a drive to build Washington’s influence across the region and to counter Beijing’s growing clout, Blinken touched down in the capital Nuku’alofa on a diplomatic charm offensive. “We’re a Pacific nation”, and “we very much see the future in the Indo-Pacific region”, Blinken told... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3228942/us-china-relations-blinken-tonga-calls-out-predatory-chinas-problematic-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3228942/us-china-relations-blinken-tonga-calls-out-predatory-chinas-problematic-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jul 2023 04:33:09 +0000 France’s President Emmanuel Macron will travel to the southwest Pacific next week offering a “French alternative” to a region marked by rising China-US tensions, his office said on Monday. Macron’s trip will start in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory that is bitterly divided after three successive referendums rejected independence from France. He will then to travel on to Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, a “historic” part of the journey because no French president had ever visited... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3228036/president-macron-push-french-alternative-pacific-trip-amid-rising-china-us-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3228036/president-macron-push-french-alternative-pacific-trip-amid-rising-china-us-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:23:02 +0000 Pacific Islands expressed dismay on Thursday at Australia’s subsidies for fossil fuels, flagging climate concerns as a point of friction between the neighbouring nations. Two Pacific ministers appeared in a joint livestream to condemn Australia’s long and continuing enthusiasm for coal and gas projects. Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu welcomed Australia’s pledge last year to transition towards renewable energy but said it must stop funding climate-damaging projects. “We are... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3222604/pacific-nations-dismayed-australias-backing-fossil-fuels-calls-it-biggest-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3222604/pacific-nations-dismayed-australias-backing-fossil-fuels-calls-it-biggest-security-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jun 2023 09:38:16 +0000 The United Nations has issued a stark new warning about global climate change – at current rates, our rapidly warming planet is on track for disaster. Avoiding a temperature rise of beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius now requires even more drastic action by the major greenhouse gas polluters. Unfortunately, multilateral approaches have achieved only modest emissions reductions. The UN has convened 27 high-level climate change conferences that have “called on” and “urged” nations to do more. These... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215034/if-we-cant-have-cooperation-fighting-climate-change-lets-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215034/if-we-cant-have-cooperation-fighting-climate-change-lets-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2023 19:30:14 +0000 China and a group of South Pacific island countries could start talks this year toward their first formal trade agreement, according to an official from a regional network of nations. But while such talks could provide a boost to Beijing’s offshore economic ambitions as US influence spreads in the region, a potential pact is not expected any time soon. The idea of a trade deal is in its “embryonic stage”, said Zarak Khan, director of programmes and initiatives with the secretariat of the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3213624/china-south-pacific-trade-talks-being-explored-and-islands-want-gauge-chinas-appetite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3213624/china-south-pacific-trade-talks-being-explored-and-islands-want-gauge-chinas-appetite?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Mar 2023 20:30:09 +0000 With a gentle breeze on its stern, our tough little Zodiac inflatable boat motors gently up to a deserted beach. Massive kapok trees draped in dense creeping vines fringe the rough coral sands, which are split by a glistening stream from the jungle beyond. But behind the foliage a surprise awaits. As our rubber bow kisses the shore, the tranquillity is shattered by a blood-curdling chorus of screams and yelps. As if disgorged by the jungle itself, an excited band of vine-clad men and boys... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3210052/south-pacific-southeast-asia-small-ship-cruises-offer-intimate-brushes-traditional-culture-those?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3210052/south-pacific-southeast-asia-small-ship-cruises-offer-intimate-brushes-traditional-culture-those?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2023 23:15:08 +0000 Vanuatu is drawing up plans to relocate “dozens” of villages within the next two years, as they come under threat from rising seas, the Pacific nation’s climate chief said on Thursday. Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu said dealing with the impact of global warming was a major challenge facing Vanuatu’s 300,000 inhabitants who live on a chain of islands strung out between Australia and Fiji. Regenvanu said the response would inevitably involve relocating long-established communities from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3201707/climate-tragedy-vanuatu-relocate-dozens-villages-next-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3201707/climate-tragedy-vanuatu-relocate-dozens-villages-next-two-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2022 10:17:00 +0000 The hairpin curves and bumpy roads connecting the mining settlement Goro to the outside world slice through coral-fringed cliffs and forests lined with waterfalls and streams. Yet what makes this picturesque area noteworthy lies deep beneath its red earth: nickel, also known as green gold. Goro is in New Caledonia, a far-flung archipelago 900 miles east of Australia and home to just 272,000 people. But the French territory carries outsize influence, holding about 7.1 million tonnes of nickel – a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3192663/us-and-china-vie-pacific-influence-and-resources-tiny-new-caledonia-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3192663/us-and-china-vie-pacific-influence-and-resources-tiny-new-caledonia-can?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Sep 2022 20:01:44 +0000 China will cut tariffs on almost all taxable items imported from 16 of the world’s poorest countries as a gambit to widen overseas economic relations in the face of trade tensions with its major partners, including the United States and Australia. The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said last week that it will axe tariffs on 98 per cent of taxable products from “least-developed countries”, including Cambodia, Laos, Djibouti, Rwanda and Togo. The tariff cuts will take effect... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3188149/china-cuts-tariffs-cosies-16-worlds-poorest-nations-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3188149/china-cuts-tariffs-cosies-16-worlds-poorest-nations-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Aug 2022 11:00:11 +0000 When president Barack Obama’s administration announced the United States’ plan to withdraw from the South Pacific Tuna Treaty in January 2016, the threat left signatories disappointed and policy watchers puzzled. The fishing accord – described as “one of the most important aid and political arrangements” of Washington’s relationship with 16 Pacific Island nations and territories – dictates how much US vessels should pay for access to exclusive economic zones in the waters around the islands. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3185869/more-just-tuna-us-casts-wider-net-compete-china-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3185869/more-just-tuna-us-casts-wider-net-compete-china-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 22:42:04 +0000 It would seem to be a no-brainer: as the world reopens following the Covid-19 shutdowns, countries that saw their tourism industries devastated by the lack of visitors are laying out the red carpet for digital nomads. The trickle that began with Estonia, in 2018, has now become a flood, with the Harvard Business Review recently declaring there are currently 46 countries and territories that offer visas especially designed for digital nomads (or close enough alternatives), from Anguilla to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3182813/indonesia-portugal-and-south-africa-mull-digital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3182813/indonesia-portugal-and-south-africa-mull-digital?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jun 2022 00:45:21 +0000 The parliament of South Pacific Island Vanuatu has declared a climate emergency, with the low-lying nation’s prime minister flagging a US$1.2 billion cost to cushion climate change’s impacts on his country. Prime Minister Bob Loughman said rising sea levels and severe weather were already disproportionately affecting the Pacific – highlighting two devastating tropical cyclones and a hard-hitting drought in the last decade. “The Earth is already too hot and unsafe,” Loughman said. “We are in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3179565/vanuatu-declares-climate-emergency-we-are-danger-now-pm-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3179565/vanuatu-declares-climate-emergency-we-are-danger-now-pm-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 May 2022 12:57:35 +0000 The signing of the security pact between China and the Solomon Islands last month has raised concerns about the region’s security, especially in the United States, Australia and the Pacific Islands, but Japan too is keeping close tabs on recent developments. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will begin a three-day trip to Fiji and Palau beginning Friday, while parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs Uesugi Kentaro visited the Solomon Islands last week. The visits come in the wake of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3176767/china-solomon-islands-pact-japan-joins-us-australia-boosting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3176767/china-solomon-islands-pact-japan-joins-us-australia-boosting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2022 09:31:26 +0000 Come visit the Maldives, its president entreated the world at this year’s United Nations General Assembly, moments before switching to an impassioned plea for help combating climate change. The adjacent appeals illustrated a central dilemma for many small island developing states (Sids): their livelihoods, or their lives? The United Nations recognises 38 member states as Sids, grouped together because they face “unique social, economic and environmental challenges”. This bloc is particularly... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3150382/climate-change-dilemma-facing-maldives-mauritius-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3150382/climate-change-dilemma-facing-maldives-mauritius-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Sep 2021 14:15:14 +0000 An Indonesian diplomat’s rebuke of calls from Vanuatu for an investigation into human rights abuses in West Papua has cast a spotlight on how Pacific island nations are banding together to speak out against Jakarta’s handling of its restive easternmost provinces, where there are calls for independence by some groups. Silvany Austin Pasaribu, a representative from Indonesia’s permanent mission to the United Nations, on Saturday at a meeting of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3103553/indonesian-diplomat-rebukes-vanuatu-pm-over-papua-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3103553/indonesian-diplomat-rebukes-vanuatu-pm-over-papua-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2020 13:30:27 +0000 The media director of the largest newspaper in Vanuatu has been denied re-entry to the Pacific island nation, a move he claims is retaliation for reporting on the deportation of a number of criminal suspects with dual Chinese-Vanuatu nationality in July. Dan McGarry, who runs the Vanuatu Daily Post, was prevented from boarding a flight from Brisbane to Vanuatu’s capital of Port Vila on Saturday, less than a fortnight after the Vanuatu government declined to renew his work permit. Authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3038278/vanuatu-bars-daily-post-newspaper-chief-critical-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3038278/vanuatu-bars-daily-post-newspaper-chief-critical-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2019 11:30:08 +0000