https://www.scmp.com/rss/512558/feed The Solomon Islands is a nation composed of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific. In 2022, it signed a security pact with China, causing uproar among some of its neighbours, including Australia, and concern for countries such as the US that have strategic interests in the area. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia has pledged A$2.5 million (US$1.7 million) in aid to Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, after tropical cyclone Maila caused devastating floods and landslides that killed 11. Australia stood “shoulder to shoulder” with its neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday, pledging A$1 million for Papua New Guinea and A$1.5 million for the Solomon Islands, where severe impacts have been felt in remote communities across Western and Choiseul... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:26:16 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall After playing in a forested area in the Solomon Islands, Billy’s children often break out in rashes or itchy boils at home. A few years ago, the family became dizzy, suffered headaches and vomited – they believed it was due to the clams from nearby mangrove beds that they had eaten. “It was lucky that we stopped the children from eating them,” said Billy, whose family lives a hand-to-mouth existence in the village of Yandina in the Russell Islands. The 50-year-old farmer suspected that... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348779/solomon-islands-residents-live-fear-wwii-bomb-explosions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3348779/solomon-islands-residents-live-fear-wwii-bomb-explosions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow In the Solomon Islands, where memories of civil unrest and ethnic violence are still fresh, the government’s plan to create a defence force has raised both hope and concerns. For some, it is a step towards stability; for others, it is a potential flashpoint in a region increasingly pulled between China and the West. Jimson Tanangada, the Pacific nation’s police and national security minister, told parliament earlier this month that the government was exploring the creation of a defence force as... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330233/solomon-islands-defence-force-dream-australia-china-flashpoint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330233/solomon-islands-defence-force-dream-australia-china-flashpoint?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank has suggested. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help to plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework initially consist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press New Zealand’s defence minister warned in an interview that small countries in the South Pacific face growing pressure from great power competition for their rare minerals and fisheries wealth, and that more action was needed from regional neighbours to help in preserving island nations’ sovereignty. Judith Collins, who also oversees New Zealand’s intelligence and space portfolios, spoke on Wednesday before departing for Washington, where she will meet Trump administration officials including... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329139/new-zealand-seeks-us-help-protect-pacific-china-over-rare-minerals-fisheries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329139/new-zealand-seeks-us-help-protect-pacific-china-over-rare-minerals-fisheries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:25:59 +0000 Alcott Wei Alcott Wei China has showcased and marketed a range of new public security equipment, including AI-assisted facial recognition surveillance devices, in an exhibition for police forces in developing countries. The equipment was displayed at the three-day Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, which runs in the coastal city of Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, until Thursday. According to state broadcaster CCTV, the exhibition’s theme is “Security Sharing, Development Integration”. “Through this showcase,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3325892/china-showcases-ai-enhanced-bodycams-developing-nations-police-expo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 04:00:09 +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 Maria Siow Maria Siow With the next Pacific Islands Forum poised to convene in Honiara next month, the Solomon Islands’ decision to exclude all external dialogue partners has reignited debate over the cost of regional compromise and the Pacific’s ability to chart an independent course. Announcing the move earlier this month, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele confirmed that 21 donor nations would be excluded from the annual summit of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), which the Solomon Islands will host from... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322385/solomon-islands-freezes-out-taipei-beijing-washington-and-all-other-pif-partners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3322385/solomon-islands-freezes-out-taipei-beijing-washington-and-all-other-pif-partners?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 00:00:10 +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 Maria Siow Maria Siow Trust in the United States’ commitment to Pacific island nations – and its influence in the region – risks further erosion as Washington faces scrutiny over its failure to deliver on financial pledges. Last month, leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) sent a letter to the Trump administration, voicing concerns about what they described as a widening gap between American promises and actual delivery. Among the unfulfilled commitments is US$200 million in new funding announced in 2023,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3308874/pacific-island-nations-see-us-pullback-will-china-step?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3308874/pacific-island-nations-see-us-pullback-will-china-step?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 May 2025 03:00:13 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification China recently conducted live-fire military drills in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that these drills, which led to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3301509/why-china-conducted-naval-drills-waters-between-australia-and-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3301509/why-china-conducted-naval-drills-waters-between-australia-and-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 03:30:09 +0000 China’s engagement with the Pacific has once again been placed under the microscope after the announcement that it signed a “strategic partnership” with the Cook Islands. This comes after a security agreement China signed with the Solomon Islands in 2022 and a proposed agreement involving 10 Pacific countries that was put on hold after objections from some Pacific states, significant pushback from Australia and tensions with the United States. Unsurprisingly, the news of the deal between China... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299560/new-zealand-need-not-fear-chinas-growing-ties-pacific-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299560/new-zealand-need-not-fear-chinas-growing-ties-pacific-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:30:07 +0000 On Thursday, 200 Chinese nationals rescued from online scam centres in Myanmar were repatriated to China, while hundreds more are expected to arrive in China in the coming days, according to Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security. The repatriation operation came after a flurry of visits to Thailand and Myanmar by Liu Zhongyi, China’s assistant minister for public security. Liu is now coordinating with the two Southeast Asian countries to crack down on cyber fraud operations in the region, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299799/why-china-may-face-scrutiny-over-using-police-diplomacy-help-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299799/why-china-may-face-scrutiny-over-using-police-diplomacy-help-developing-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:44:13 +0000 The organisers of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant on Thursday called for unity after judges were stopped from leaving the Solomon Islands amid claims of fraudulent activities after Miss Samoa won the contest for the second year in a row. Solomon Islands, which hosted the pageant, said it had lifted an exit ban on judges leaving the country on Wednesday afternoon, although a police investigation continued into what it said was “alleged fraudulent activities during the crowning of the Miss... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3298462/miss-pacific-islands-hit-fraud-row-after-samoa-beauty-queen-wins-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3298462/miss-pacific-islands-hit-fraud-row-after-samoa-beauty-queen-wins-title?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 04:00:19 +0000 The West should not pressure Pacific island countries to choose between cooperating with China or with the US and its allies, a British navy admiral has said, pointing out that Beijing’s maritime dominance could cast considerable influence over the small island nations. On Wednesday, during the West 2025 conference hosted by the US Naval Institute and AFCEA in San Diego, Rear Admiral James Parkin, who is responsible for overseeing the development of naval technologies for the British Royal Navy,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3296880/dont-force-pacific-island-nations-choose-between-china-and-west-uk-navy-admiral?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3296880/dont-force-pacific-island-nations-choose-between-china-and-west-uk-navy-admiral?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:14:51 +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 Australia said on Friday it has agreed to help boost Solomon Islands’ police force with a multi-year funding, training and infrastructure package for the Pacific nation, which has fostered close ties with China. But in a sign of the competition it faces from Beijing, the Solomons police announced the same day it had received a modest donation from China for its police support fund. The Australian deal – valued at A$190 million (US$118 million) over four years – will include the construction of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3291644/australia-strikes-us118-million-policing-deal-china-friendly-solomon-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3291644/australia-strikes-us118-million-policing-deal-china-friendly-solomon-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Dec 2024 03:40:08 +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 Pacific island leaders endorsed a landmark regional policing plan on Wednesday at a summit in Tonga, a contentious move seen as trying to limit China’s security role in the region. Leaders unveiled a plan to create up to four regional police training centres and a multinational crisis reaction force, backed by US$271 million in initial funding from Australia. Under the plan, a corps of about 200 officers drawn from different Pacific island nations could be dispatched to regional hotspots and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3276173/australia-pushes-pacific-police-force-check-chinas-regional-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3276173/australia-pushes-pacific-police-force-check-chinas-regional-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Aug 2024 01:17:39 +0000 China has pledged to support Fiji’s development and help tackle the impact of climate change during Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to Beijing. President Xi Jinping, who met Rabuka on Tuesday, told him that China attaches “great importance” to the relationship and “is willing to continue to provide assistance to Fiji in economic and social development”. State broadcaster CCTV reported that he also said China is ready to assist Fiji and other Pacific island countries “in dealing with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275229/china-promises-help-fiji-tackle-climate-change-beijing-seeks-greater-pacific-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275229/china-promises-help-fiji-tackle-climate-change-beijing-seeks-greater-pacific-role?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:30:14 +0000 Pacific nation Kiribati will begin voting in a general election this week, a poll that will test the strengthening ties between China and the government of the climate-threatened archipelago. The vote on Wednesday in tiny Kiribati – a country of scattered atolls and islands – has the potential to stir ripples across the South Pacific. Kiribati is considered strategic despite being small, because it is relatively close to the US state of Hawaii and controls more than 3.5 million sq km (1.4... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3274331/pacific-nation-kiribatis-pro-china-government-faces-election-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3274331/pacific-nation-kiribatis-pro-china-government-faces-election-test?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2024 10:18:08 +0000 Palau is appealing to Japan for help monitoring Chinese maritime activity within its exclusive economic zone. Analysts say Tokyo has assisted other nations with similar challenges in the past and may be willing to do so again to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region. The Pacific island nation’s national security coordinator, Jennifer Anson, described the “challenges” it has faced in recent years in an interview with Japanese national broadcaster NHK on Monday. Chinese research... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270681/chinas-sway-over-pacific-islands-grows-will-japan-counter-coming-palaus-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270681/chinas-sway-over-pacific-islands-grows-will-japan-counter-coming-palaus-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 03:00:09 +0000 Solomon Islands will prop up its government budget with a US$20 million injection from China, the developing Pacific state said on Tuesday, as Beijing looks to strengthen a strategic toehold in the region. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele announced the funding after talks with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, hailing China’s “transformative” presence in one of the world’s poorest nations. China has also agreed to fund extensions at Solomon Islands’ only international airport, Manele said, leading... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3270629/solomon-islands-props-budget-chinas-us20-million-injection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3270629/solomon-islands-props-budget-chinas-us20-million-injection?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jul 2024 07:26:29 +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 Solomon Islands incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said he would not be a candidate when lawmakers vote this week for a new prime minister, and his political party would instead back former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele. The two major opposition parties in the Solomon Islands struck a coalition deal on Saturday as they vie with Sogavare’s party to form a government after an election delivered no clear winner. Last week’s election was the first since Sogavare struck a security pact... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3260804/solomon-islands-china-friendly-pm-sogavare-not-standing-new-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3260804/solomon-islands-china-friendly-pm-sogavare-not-standing-new-term?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:10:14 +0000 The incumbent prime minister of Solomon Islands was set to fall short of an outright election majority on Monday, forcing the pro-Beijing Pacific leader to woo an unwieldy mix of potential coalition partners. Manasseh Sogavare’s Our Party has won 12 seats with six contests still in play, according to provisional results reported by the public broadcaster – well short of a majority in the 50-seat parliament. Coalition negotiations will be closely watched from afar, with major consequences for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3259947/solomon-islands-pro-china-pm-fails-secure-outright-majority-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3259947/solomon-islands-pro-china-pm-fails-secure-outright-majority-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:17:17 +0000 An election in Solomon Islands on Wednesday will be a crucial barometer of voters’ faith in the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare following the signing of a controversial security pact between the strategically important country and China. Dispersed over 2,000km (1,240 miles), home to around 750,000 people – a quarter of them living in poverty – and increasingly coveted for its position in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Islands is wooed by China and the US as a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3259039/solomon-islands-china-security-ties-focus-pacific-nation-heads-polls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3259039/solomon-islands-china-security-ties-focus-pacific-nation-heads-polls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:19:02 +0000 China’s growing hold over Pacific nation Solomon Islands is “alarming”, a powerful opposition figurehead said on Monday ahead of elections that could further entrench Beijing’s foothold in the region. Solomon Islands has warmly embraced China under mercurial Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, with the two nations inking a murky security pact in 2022. Solomon Islands prepares for election in shadow of China’s influence A torrent of Chinese aid and investment has flowed into the country during... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258996/no-doubt-pro-china-interests-meddling-solomon-islands-elections-opposition-figure-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258996/no-doubt-pro-china-interests-meddling-solomon-islands-elections-opposition-figure-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 02:22:15 +0000 Solomon Islanders will head to the polls on Wednesday, voting in an election that promises to bolster or blunt China’s regional ambitions, with security consequences that will ripple far beyond the Pacific nation’s palm-fringed shores. The archipelago, one of the world’s least-developed countries, is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting a rising China against Western rivals. Solomon Islands has veered into China’s orbit under Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who signed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258947/solomon-islands-prepares-election-shadow-chinas-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258947/solomon-islands-prepares-election-shadow-chinas-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Apr 2024 08:30:22 +0000 Japan’s Defence Minister Minoru Kihara will hold talks with peers from Pacific Island nations next week over security support, as Tokyo steps away from decades of Pacific policy to counter China’s dealmaking in a remote but strategically crucial region. The March 19 talks with 14 South Pacific Island countries and Western allies will pave the way for a leaders’ meeting in July, in what some experts say could become the largest Japanese security-focused move in the Pacific Islands since World War... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255124/japan-shore-security-support-pacific-islands-significant-policy-shift-china-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255124/japan-shore-security-support-pacific-islands-significant-policy-shift-china-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2024 00:00:17 +0000 The Solomon Islands’ ruling party has pledged to strike a “pragmatic” balance between stronger ties with China and its relations with “traditional partners” such as Australia if it wins re-election in April. The Pacific nation’s Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has taken a pro-Beijing stance since returning to power in 2019 and has accused “agents of Western powers” of trying to bring down his government. Since then, he has severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan to align with Beijing, and in 2022... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251860/solomon-islands-pro-china-leader-pledges-continue-balancing-act-australia-he-seeks-re-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251860/solomon-islands-pro-china-leader-pledges-continue-balancing-act-australia-he-seeks-re-election?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:00:11 +0000 The Australian government has pledged A$35 million (US$23 million) towards supporting East Timor’s policing services and another A$4 million (US$2.6 million) in aid to help Timorese workers integrate in Australia, as Canberra continued to make good on its intentions to improve regional relations amid China’s increased influence. Underlying these gestures however are pre-existing tensions between the two countries, especially in differences over the development of the controversial but valuable... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3250174/australia-steps-aid-east-timor-amid-chinas-growing-influence-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3250174/australia-steps-aid-east-timor-amid-chinas-growing-influence-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:24 +0000 Beijing has lodged “solemn representation” with Papua New Guinea and called on the Pacific country to “penalise perpetrators severely” after local riots resulted in the looting of Chinese-owned properties and injury to Chinese nationals. There was violence across the nation on Wednesday as public servants, including police officers, walked off the job to protest against a disputed pay cut. At least 15 people have reportedly been killed in the country. On Thursday, PNG Prime Minister James Marape... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248093/china-protests-papua-new-guinea-over-riots-damaged-chinese-stores-and-injured-its-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248093/china-protests-papua-new-guinea-over-riots-damaged-chinese-stores-and-injured-its-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:06:16 +0000 The Pacific Games opened in a new China-funded stadium in Solomon Islands to thunderous drumming and fireworks, in an event where the sport is a sideshow to many outsiders who are instead scrutinising the race between China and the United States for dominance over an archipelago that’s surrounded by strategic sea lanes. Five thousand athletes from 24 Pacific Islands are competing at the Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from November 19 to December 2. Solomon Islands’ pro-China Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3242249/let-games-begin-solomon-islands-hosts-pacific-games-sports-event-mostly-paid-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3242249/let-games-begin-solomon-islands-hosts-pacific-games-sports-event-mostly-paid-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Nov 2023 04:00:11 +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 A deadline of strategic importance for Washington passed without a breakthrough on Saturday night. As lawmakers remained occupied with averting a federal government shutdown just hours before a midnight deadline, the Compact of Free Association (Cofa) pact that had steered ties between Washington and the Marshall Islands for decades expired on September 30. No public announcement has been made on the renewal. The US State Department did not respond to requests for comment on the status of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3236569/us-deal-marshall-islands-lapses-without-renewal-talks-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3236569/us-deal-marshall-islands-lapses-without-renewal-talks-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:50:44 +0000 Two senior Chinese and US diplomats held an “in-depth” exchange on regional issues in Washington, the latest sign that both sides are engaging in more open channels of communications. Sun Weidong, China’s vice-foreign minister for Asia, met Daniel Kritenbrink, US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs in Washington, the US State Department said in a statement on Thursday night. The talks were held as a Chinese trade council warned future high-level meetings could be at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236242/china-us-ties-beijing-and-washington-diplomats-overseeing-asian-affairs-meet-sign-more-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236242/china-us-ties-beijing-and-washington-diplomats-overseeing-asian-affairs-meet-sign-more-open?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Sep 2023 06:01:47 +0000 Solomon Islands has joined the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) days after its leader snubbed an invitation to meet US President Joe Biden at a Pacific summit. Solomon Islands joins the bank alongside the Central American nation of El Salvador, which deepened its relationship with Beijing a few years after switching ties from Taipei. Tanzania, another key Beijing ally and where China has vast interests, has also been admitted as a prospective member. The new admissions to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235987/solomon-islands-joins-china-backed-aiib-days-after-pm-snubs-biden-invite-pacific-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3235987/solomon-islands-joins-china-backed-aiib-days-after-pm-snubs-biden-invite-pacific-leaders-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 09:01:52 +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 The leader of Solomon Islands, who has developed close ties with China, on Friday joined Beijing in denouncing Japan’s release of waste water from Fukushima’s crippled nuclear plant. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said he was “appalled” at the move and warned of effects on his South Pacific archipelago. “If this nuclear waste water is safe, it should be stored in Japan. The fact that it’s dumped into the ocean shows that it is not safe,” he... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3235571/solomon-islands-joins-china-blasting-japan-over-fukushima-water-release?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3235571/solomon-islands-joins-china-blasting-japan-over-fukushima-water-release?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Sep 2023 07:00:12 +0000 A second summit between US President Joe Biden and Pacific Island nations is slated to take place next week in Washington, a top official at an intergovernmental group from the region announced on Monday, underscoring the outsize influence wielded by the small but geopolitically vital countries of Oceania. “Currently our senior officials are in negotiations with Washington over the outcomes that we would like to see when we meet with President Biden next week,” said Henry Puna, secretary general... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3234994/joe-biden-meet-pacific-island-nations-leaders-seek-capitalise-us-china-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3234994/joe-biden-meet-pacific-island-nations-leaders-seek-capitalise-us-china-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2023 22:00:36 +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 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 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to the Asia-Pacific again this week for the third time in two months, as Washington seeks to further pressure New Zealand into toeing its China line and prove to Pacific island nations that it’s a “willing partner”. Tonga will be Blinken’s first stop on Wednesday to open a new US embassy in capital Nuku’alofa, followed by New Zealand on Thursday for bilateral meetings and a United States-Netherlands Fifa Women’s World Cup football match, before he... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3228819/us-china-ties-loom-large-blinken-readies-rapid-asia-pacific-return-tour-tonga-new-zealand-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3228819/us-china-ties-loom-large-blinken-readies-rapid-asia-pacific-return-tour-tonga-new-zealand-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:00:12 +0000 Australia and New Zealand have urged China to release the details of a new policing pact with Solomon Islands, saying Beijing’s latest push for influence threatens to inflame tensions in the South Pacific. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a raft of deals during a trip to the Chinese capital this week, including an agreement allowing China to maintain a police presence in the developing Pacific nation until 2025. Beijing has lavished attention on Solomon Islands since it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3227381/australia-calls-china-provide-transparency-intentions-solomon-islands-police-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3227381/australia-calls-china-provide-transparency-intentions-solomon-islands-police-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jul 2023 02:35:39 +0000 A Chinese navy hospital ship is sailing to Kiribati and the Solomons for the first time since the Pacific island nations switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019. The Peace Ark left its home port of Zhoushan in Zhejiang province on Monday with 126 medical personnel on board. They will provide free medical services in the two nations, as well as in Tonga, Vanuatu and East Timor, the navy said on the WeChat social network. Taiwan cut ties with Kiribati and the Solomon Islands... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226402/chinese-navy-hospital-ship-heads-pacific-show-militarys-peaceful-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3226402/chinese-navy-hospital-ship-heads-pacific-show-militarys-peaceful-development?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jul 2023 11:00:13 +0000 Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare called for a review of a security treaty with Australia in a meeting with Canberra’s defence minister on Wednesday, his office said, amid growing strategic competition in the region between China and the US and its allies. Australia’s deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles is on a two-day visit to Solomon Islands for security talks that come as China takes a bigger role in the Pacific nation’s police force. Sogavare is expected... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3225794/australian-defence-minister-solomon-islands-security-talks-amid-chinas-growing-police-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3225794/australian-defence-minister-solomon-islands-security-talks-amid-chinas-growing-police-role?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:03:35 +0000