https://www.scmp.com/rss/519396/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agencies Agencies As Wednesday turned to Thursday, people around the world said goodbye to a sometimes challenging 2025 and expressed hopes for the ‍new year to come. In Croatia, celebrations got off to an early start. Since 2000, the town of Fuzine has held its countdown at noon, a tradition that has since spread across the country. Crowds cheered and toasted each other with champagne and danced ⁠to music – all in the middle of the day. Some brave souls in Santa hats took a plunge into the icy waters of Lake... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3338350/world-begins-bid-goodbye-2025-fireworks-and-icy-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3338350/world-begins-bid-goodbye-2025-fireworks-and-icy-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:19:08 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen China has “no fundamental conflict of interest” with New Zealand, President Xi Jinping told New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Beijing on Friday while calling for the constructive management of differences. “Both sides should adhere to mutual respect, seek common ground while acknowledging differences, and correctly view and manage their differences and disagreements,” Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Just ahead of Luxon’s arrival in the Chinese capital... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315257/china-new-zealand-have-no-conflict-interest-xi-jinping-tells-christopher-luxon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315257/china-new-zealand-have-no-conflict-interest-xi-jinping-tells-christopher-luxon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:57:42 +0000 Reuters Reuters Less than half of working-age women are employed across Pacific island nations due to outdated laws and other barriers, the World Bank said in a new report on Tuesday.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 Pacific nation Kiribati says it is exploring a deep-sea mining partnership with China, dangling access to a vast patch of Pacific Ocean harbouring coveted metals and minerals. Beijing has been ramping up efforts to court Pacific nations sitting on lucrative sea-floor deposits of cobalt, nickel and copper – recently signing a cooperation deal with Cook Islands. Kiribati opened discussions with Chinese Ambassador Zhou Limin after a long-standing agreement with leading deep-sea mining outfit The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3302809/another-tiny-pacific-nation-courts-china-deep-sea-mining-riches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3302809/another-tiny-pacific-nation-courts-china-deep-sea-mining-riches?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:39:17 +0000 The Pacific island nation of Kiribati has issued rare criticism of China over last month’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, saying the Pacific is not “isolated pockets of ocean” and it “does not welcome” Beijing’s action. Kiribati, a Pacific Ocean neighbour of Hawaii with a vast exclusive economic zone of 3.6 million square km (1.4 million square miles) has developed close ties to Beijing in recent years, including hosting Chinese police. China conducted a rare launch of an ICBM... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3281467/china-ally-kiribati-criticises-chinese-icbm-test-stop-these-acts-maintain-world-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3281467/china-ally-kiribati-criticises-chinese-icbm-test-stop-these-acts-maintain-world-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Oct 2024 02:27:27 +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 Japanese and Pacific island leaders largely focused on climate change at their recent meeting even though Tokyo was keen to discuss security cooperation amid China’s growing military and economic influence in the region. The environmental hot potato was a “major priority” for Pacific island nations while Japan was setting its sights on boosting security initiatives in partnership with its allies, according to observers. At the talks held in Tokyo from Tuesday to Thursday, participants said they... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3271190/japans-talks-pacific-islands-focus-climate-security-issues-take-back-seat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3271190/japans-talks-pacific-islands-focus-climate-security-issues-take-back-seat?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2024 04:00:17 +0000 Substantial budget cuts could ruin American overtures in the Indo-Pacific region as China’s military footprint and diplomatic muscle expand rapidly, a senior Biden administration official told the US Congress on Thursday. “These cuts would be devastating … to our ability to stand up to China, devastating to our ability to continue to offer alternatives to our partners,” said Daniel Kritenbrink, the State Department’s assistant secretary handling East Asian and Pacific affairs. “It causes [us]... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3268358/china-rises-indo-pacific-us-must-avoid-devastating-budget-cuts-senior-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3268358/china-rises-indo-pacific-us-must-avoid-devastating-budget-cuts-senior-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jun 2024 22:36:32 +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 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 US officials have stressed that newly-approved legislation providing billions of dollars in funding for three strategically important Pacific island nations is an important sign of American commitment, which comes amid warnings China is actively trying to pry them away from Washington’s sphere of influence. The renewal of funds for the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau – known collectively as the Freely Associated States – had been held up for months... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3256072/warily-eyeing-chinas-pacific-influence-us-talks-us71-billion-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3256072/warily-eyeing-chinas-pacific-influence-us-talks-us71-billion-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 07:53:52 +0000 A top US State Department official has acknowledged that the US was aware that the Pacific island nation of Nauru was weighing whether to switch its diplomatic ties from Taiwan to mainland China before it formally did so in January, and sought to counter the move. “We had known for some time that there were concerns in Nauru and we were working with partners to meet those,” Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255445/us-knew-nauru-might-cut-ties-taiwan-it-did-so-state-department-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255445/us-knew-nauru-might-cut-ties-taiwan-it-did-so-state-department-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 21:51:22 +0000 Australia’s Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said there should be “no role” for China in policing the Pacific Islands, and Australia will train more local security forces to fill gaps, after Reuters reported Chinese police are working in Kiribati. The United States on Monday cautioned Pacific Islands nations against assistance from Chinese security forces, after Kiribati’s acting police commissioner Eeri Aritiera told Reuters last week that uniformed Chinese officers were working with its police in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3253656/no-role-china-policing-pacific-islands-australian-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3253656/no-role-china-policing-pacific-islands-australian-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:22:42 +0000 China has the largest diplomatic corps in the world, narrowly beating the United States, according to a new study – but observers say this does not necessarily translate into having the greatest influence. The Global Diplomacy Index published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, found that China had 274 diplomatic missions around the world, compared with 271 for the United States. “Great power rivalry is as prevalent in diplomacy as in other fields, with the United States and China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253262/china-narrowly-ahead-us-global-diplomatic-presence-may-not-translate-greater-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253262/china-narrowly-ahead-us-global-diplomatic-presence-may-not-translate-greater-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Feb 2024 02:00:12 +0000 Tuvalu on Monday announced former attorney general and fisheries official Feleti Teo as its new prime minister, after he was elected unopposed by lawmakers in the Pacific nation, officials said. Former Prime Minister Kausea Natano, who had backed long-standing relations with Taipei, lost his seat in a closely watched January 26 general election amid a geopolitical tussle for influence in the South Pacific. Tuvalu, with a population of about 11,200 spread across nine islands, is one of just 12... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3253174/tuvalus-taiwan-ties-balance-pacific-nation-gets-new-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3253174/tuvalus-taiwan-ties-balance-pacific-nation-gets-new-prime-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Feb 2024 01:30:12 +0000 China’s push for diplomatic influence in the “Global South” will be on show later this year when Beijing hosts two major gatherings – one for Africa and the other for Latin America. In addition to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the Chinese capital will be the backdrop for the China-Latin American and Caribbean Forum (China-CELAC). The last time FOCAC was held, in 2021, President Xi Jinping pledged to advance US$40 billion in loans and aid to African countries, on top of the US$60... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253126/how-china-merges-funding-and-diplomacy-push-lead-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253126/how-china-merges-funding-and-diplomacy-push-lead-global-south?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Feb 2024 12:00:16 +0000 Chinese police are working in the remote atoll nation of Kiribati, a Pacific Ocean neighbour of Hawaii, with uniformed officers involved in community policing and a crime database programme, Kiribati officials said. Kiribati has not publicly announced the policing deal with China, which comes as Beijing renews a push to expand security ties in the Pacific Islands in an intensifying rivalry with the United States. Kiribati, a nation of 115,000 residents, is considered strategic despite being... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3252940/chinese-police-work-kiribati-beijing-expands-pacific-security-ties-counter-us-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3252940/chinese-police-work-kiribati-beijing-expands-pacific-security-ties-counter-us-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Feb 2024 04:23:18 +0000 A failure in Washington to break a deadlock over US$2.3 billion for three Pacific island nations in return for exclusive US security access – including bases for missiles and radar – may open the door for China, leaders and experts have warned. While a US$95 billion military aid package including for Ukraine and Israel was agreed last week, the relatively small change contained in a 20-year-old renewal deal called the Compact of Free Association (COFA) is yet to be signed off by the US... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3252597/us-china-relations-how-washingtons-pacific-funding-crunch-plays-right-beijings-hands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3252597/us-china-relations-how-washingtons-pacific-funding-crunch-plays-right-beijings-hands?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 00:00:15 +0000 A fuzzy yellow-on-orange sonar image has sparked frenzied speculation that a deep-sea exploration company has located the plane flown by Amelia Earhart when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. But after 35 years of chasing arguably the most famous female aviator in history, Ric Gillespie believes South Carolina-based Deep Sea Vision (DSV) is going to be disappointed. The blurry picture, captured at a depth of around 4,870 metres some 160km west of Howland Island in the central... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3250770/amelia-earharts-disappearance-can-blurry-sonar-image-solve-greatest-mystery-all-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3250770/amelia-earharts-disappearance-can-blurry-sonar-image-solve-greatest-mystery-all-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:16 +0000 At the start of 2019, Taiwan counted six diplomatic allies among the Pacific Island nations. Barely five years later, that number has been halved as a growing number of small island states switch their diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, a symbolic move, but one that is widely seen as a sign of Beijing’s growing influence in the region. Within days of Taiwan’s presidential election last month, the Pacific nation of Nauru, an island in Micronesia northeast of Australia, announced it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3250761/whats-next-chinas-pacific-island-diplomatic-wins-mount?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3250761/whats-next-chinas-pacific-island-diplomatic-wins-mount?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:00:15 +0000 China has a strategy to help Pacific island nations with policing, not defence, and its growing presence in the region should not alarm Australia, China’s ambassador to Australia said on Wednesday. Ambassador Xiao Qian also told reporters that Nauru’s decision this week to form diplomatic relations with China at the expense of Taiwan was “their own choice” and would not impact Australia’s ties with Nauru, a tiny nation of 12,500 that uses the Australian currency. Pacific neighbours Solomon... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3248721/no-need-be-anxious-over-chinas-growing-pacific-presence-envoy-tells-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3248721/no-need-be-anxious-over-chinas-growing-pacific-presence-envoy-tells-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:09:53 +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 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 Australia’s climate resettlement scheme with Tuvalu offers citizens of the sinking Pacific island a pathway to “migration with dignity”, but the defence conditions of the two countries’ upgraded ties show it is not a “free lunch” amid Beijing’s increased economic and defence activities in the region, analysts said. Following a key meeting of Pacific leaders on Friday, Australia and Tuvalu announced a new comprehensive partnership, the Falepili Union, that would offer special Australian visas... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3241372/tuvalus-climate-deal-australia-comes-trade-china-deepens-pacific-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3241372/tuvalus-climate-deal-australia-comes-trade-china-deepens-pacific-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:00:20 +0000 Citizens of the climate-threatened Pacific nation Tuvalu will get “special rights” to live and work in Australia under a landmark treaty unveiled by the two countries on Friday. Unveiling a compact that includes freedom of movement and defence guarantees, prime ministers Anthony Albanese and Kausea Natano said the two nations would work to tackle climate change, while preparing for the worst. The treaty would also commit Australia to defend Tuvalu in the case of foreign invasion or natural... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3241043/australia-offer-tuvalu-citizens-climate-refuge-landmark-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3241043/australia-offer-tuvalu-citizens-climate-refuge-landmark-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 06:56:02 +0000 China’s declining aid to the South Pacific is increasingly targeted towards its political allies in the region as appetite there for Chinese credit declines and competition grows with the US for influence, an independent Australian think tank reported on Tuesday. Chinese overall economic influence among the 14 aid-dependent island nations in the region is losing ground because of better loan deals being offered by US allies, especially Australia, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in its... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3239795/chinas-pacific-aid-mostly-goes-its-allies-australian-think-tank-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3239795/chinas-pacific-aid-mostly-goes-its-allies-australian-think-tank-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2023 07:03:35 +0000 US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an agreement on Wednesday to cooperate with Japan on advanced defence technology, one of several initiatives meant to solidify the nations’ engagement in the Indo-Pacific to counter a more assertive China. The US and Australia will explore trilateral defence cooperation with Japan including on unmanned aerial systems, the White House said: “Our cooperation will enhance interoperability and accelerate technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3239205/us-and-australia-announce-agreement-work-japan-defence-technology?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3239205/us-and-australia-announce-agreement-work-japan-defence-technology?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2023 22:04:51 +0000 As US President Joe Biden hosted leaders of the Pacific island states at the White House on Monday, CNN ran this little news item: “The US is formally establishing diplomatic relations with a pair of Pacific Island nations Monday, recognising the Cook Islands and Niue for the first time.” The 770-word story raises all sorts of questions: Did the two island states fight for independence? Since both have long been constituent parts of “the Realm of New Zealand”, did Wellington agree with their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236275/what-independence-really-means-two-tiny-pacific-island-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236275/what-independence-really-means-two-tiny-pacific-island-states?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Sep 2023 13:00:11 +0000 The United States is backing a new undersea internet cable connecting several Pacific islands, according to a plan for the project seen by Reuters, boosting Washington’s interests in a region where it is vying for influence with China. The Central Pacific Cable would connect American Samoa with Guam – two US territories – and extend to up to 12 more Pacific islands, according to a document showing the cable route. Guam is home to a key US military base. Details of the cable were displayed at an... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3236070/us-throws-weight-behind-new-undersea-internet-cable-rival-china-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3236070/us-throws-weight-behind-new-undersea-internet-cable-rival-china-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2023 03:42:07 +0000 When China announced in April last year that it had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, an archipelago of about 1,000 tropical islands and atolls, it sounded like it had achieved a diplomatic and strategic breakthrough in the South Pacific. Australia and the United States were alarmed. Washington sent a high-power delegation to convince Honiara, unsuccessfully, to scrap the deal. Pundits and politicians in Australia reacted in hysteria, with one even threatening to bomb the Solomons... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236016/why-beijings-security-pact-solomons-has-been-huge-blunder?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236016/why-beijings-security-pact-solomons-has-been-huge-blunder?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:00:16 +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 If you are interested in world politics, the geopolitics of the Asia-Pacific, China and the United States, what’s the most enlightening source you have come across recently? Well, let me share mine. But bear with me because you will probably roll your eyes and yawn. That was my reaction because the title itself put me half to sleep when an erudite source referenced it to me: “[US] Senate Energy Committee Hearing on Compact of Free Association Amendments Act.” I know, the title doesn’t invite... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235752/claims-us-over-central-pacific-now-rival-those-beijing-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235752/claims-us-over-central-pacific-now-rival-those-beijing-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:00:20 +0000 US President Joe Biden was set to announce the opening of new embassies in the Cook Islands and Niue on Monday as his administration aims to demonstrate to Pacific island leaders that it remains committed to increasing American presence in the region. The announcement about the new diplomatic missions in the South Pacific comes as Biden prepares to welcome leaders to Washington for the two-day US-Pacific Island Forum Summit. Talks are expected to heavily focus on the impact of climate change in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3235670/tiny-cook-islands-niue-get-us-embassies-amid-bidens-powered-pacific-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3235670/tiny-cook-islands-niue-get-us-embassies-amid-bidens-powered-pacific-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 03:06:09 +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 In the past decade, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has expanded its diplomatic outreach under President Xi Jinping’s drive to modernise the country’s military and win global respect. Analysing articles published by state news agency Xinhua, the South China Morning Post found that since 2013, the number of military exercises held by China with foreign militaries has more than doubled. Its navy has also made more port visits, especially to nations in the Global South. Military officials in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230733/chinas-increase-military-exercises-helps-aid-diplomacy-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3230733/chinas-increase-military-exercises-helps-aid-diplomacy-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Aug 2023 22:00:15 +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 A deep-sea mining regime is urgently needed now that the world’s smallest island nation is forcing an intergovernmental body to permit seabed extraction of critical metals estimated to be far greater in volume than proven land-based reserves. In June 2021, Nauru applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for a mining permit on behalf of Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI), a subsidiary of Canadian firm Metals Company, triggering an obscure provision under the United Nations Convention on... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228188/worlds-oceans-need-protection-deep-sea-mining-frenzy-wreaks-permanent-damage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228188/worlds-oceans-need-protection-deep-sea-mining-frenzy-wreaks-permanent-damage?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:30:08 +0000 The State Department said it plans a massive increase in diplomatic personnel and spending for facilities at new US embassies in the Pacific islands as the Biden administration forges ahead with efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the region. In a notice sent to Congress this week, the department said it envisions hiring up to 40 staffers over the next five years for each of four recently opened or soon-to-be-opened embassies in the Pacific. Those include an embassy in Honiara,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3227671/us-pours-more-money-manpower-pacific-island-embassies-amid-battle-china-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3227671/us-pours-more-money-manpower-pacific-island-embassies-amid-battle-china-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:10:01 +0000 A former Xinjiang governor who was sanctioned by the United States for alleged human rights violations appeared at an event to build relations with lawmakers from the developing world in Beijing on Thursday. Shohrat Zakir, now vice-chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC), told the seminar that China is “willing to work with most developing countries to build consensus on development and promote world economic recovery and sustainable development through cooperation among legislatures,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226928/sanctioned-former-xinjiang-governor-attends-international-parliamentary-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3226928/sanctioned-former-xinjiang-governor-attends-international-parliamentary-event?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jul 2023 10:03:03 +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 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted the country’s first summit with leaders of Pacific islands on Monday, as Seoul seeks to boost its influence in a region that has become the focus of intense geopolitical rivalry. As the leaders agreed to increase efforts to fight climate change, South Korea will also consider additional funding initiatives to support the Pacific region, Yoon’s office said. Yoon launched his administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy last year, pledging to foster a “free,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3222221/south-korea-hosts-its-first-summit-pacific-island-leaders-amid-concerns-over-chinas-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3222221/south-korea-hosts-its-first-summit-pacific-island-leaders-amid-concerns-over-chinas-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 May 2023 12:26:41 +0000 France generally gets more annual visitors than any other country (80 million-plus, at the last count), followed by Spain and the United States. But what about nations where visitor arrivals barely scrape past four figures? With one exception, the top – or bottom – 10 least-visited nations (excluding those closed to visitors because of conflict or other political ructions) are all on remote islands. And each has something exceptional to offer beyond the obvious bragging rights. 1. Tuvalu Annual... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3221911/10-least-visited-countries-monserrat-micronesia-are-remote-welcoming-and-well-worth-journey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3221911/10-least-visited-countries-monserrat-micronesia-are-remote-welcoming-and-well-worth-journey?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2023 20:15:10 +0000 Calls by the United States military for dialogue with Chinese counterparts have gone unanswered, with communication opportunities possibly withheld as a “bartering chip”, the commander of US military forces in the Pacific said in New York on Wednesday. “We talked about some of the things that we need to do to ensure a peaceful area. One of those that is critically important for me is that of communication, and it’s precisely for this reason that I’ve repeatedly requested to speak with my... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3221616/us-china-military-dialogue-essential-peace-china-may-be-withholding-bartering-chip-says-us-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3221616/us-china-military-dialogue-essential-peace-china-may-be-withholding-bartering-chip-says-us-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 04:59:00 +0000 Even as India emerges as a US partner in countering China, New Delhi is eyeing to be a “champion” of the Global South, aided by its historical links with the Pacific that give it a level of goodwill not even the US and Australia can match, analysts have said. During a summit with Pacific leaders in Port Moresby on Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told members of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation that Delhi would be a reliable partner to small island states amid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3221558/india-seeks-become-global-south-champion-us-china-rivalry-heats-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3221558/india-seeks-become-global-south-champion-us-china-rivalry-heats-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 May 2023 01:30:13 +0000 At the Tongan capital of Nuku’alofa earlier this month, the United States flag was hoisted during a ceremony to mark the opening of a new American diplomatic outpost in the Pacific islands. Tonga’s acting foreign minister, Samiu Vaipulu, called the occasion “historic” and “long awaited”. “Today marks a milestone in the long-standing and strong relations between the Kingdom of Tonga and the United States of America,” the Tongan foreign ministry said. Washington said the opening of the embassy was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3221424/us-tries-reel-pacific-islands-china-tests-new-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3221424/us-tries-reel-pacific-islands-china-tests-new-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 May 2023 02:00:23 +0000 When the US secretary of state travels through Papua New Guinea’s capital next week to meet the leader of the South Pacific nation, it will be on a six-lane highway built by China. Antony Blinken will be dispatched to meet Pacific leaders at a summit Monday in the place of President Joe Biden, who had planned a historic visit spurred by Beijing’s growing regional clout. On a brief stop in Port Moresby, the top US diplomat will pass sites including a Chinese-built national courthouse, bus stops... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3221226/pacific-nations-relish-us-china-rivalry-brings-cash-economic-boon-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3221226/pacific-nations-relish-us-china-rivalry-brings-cash-economic-boon-region?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 May 2023 03:52:14 +0000 Update, May 17: Biden late on Tuesday scrapped his planned visits to Australia and Papua New Guinea. He now plans to return to the US on Sunday straight after the G7 summit to focus on debt limit talks in Washington. US President Joe Biden has an ambitious agenda when he sets off this week on an eight-day trip to the Indo-Pacific. He’s looking to tighten bonds with long-time allies, make history as the first sitting president of the United States to visit the tiny island state of Papua New... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3220558/whats-joe-biden-his-eight-day-trip-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3220558/whats-joe-biden-his-eight-day-trip-asia-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 03:43:56 +0000 US doors are open, the US is waiting and it is up to Beijing to make the next move to improve relations, Washington’s senior diplomat in China said on Tuesday. Ambassador Nicholas Burns, a quarter-century veteran of the US State Department, spoke at a time when relations between the two nations have plummeted over trade, Taiwan, defence, human rights, politics and their very different visions of the global system, all marked by deep distrust. “We need better channels between the two governments... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219187/us-ambassador-china-says-next-steps-improve-bilateral-relations-are-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3219187/us-ambassador-china-says-next-steps-improve-bilateral-relations-are-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 May 2023 19:32:24 +0000 Six months after US President Joe Biden hosted over a dozen Pacific leaders and envoys at the White House and pledged generous funding, experts say the region is carefully watching for the follow-through as Congress haggles over slashing foreign aid. Announced in September, the Pacific Partnership Strategy – intended to help the US catch up with China’s growing influence in the region – committed to spending more than US$800 million on priorities like climate change, fishing disputes and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3218353/us-congress-debates-budget-pacific-island-nations-are-watching-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3218353/us-congress-debates-budget-pacific-island-nations-are-watching-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Apr 2023 16:56:22 +0000 A move to decriminalise gay sex in the Cook Islands is a welcome step, but LGBTQ people in the Pacific Islands region still lack basic rights and risk discrimination – or worse – at every turn, activists say. Lawmakers in the tiny island nation of 15,000 people passed a bill on April 14 to decriminalise same-sex sexual relations, a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison, although the law was rarely, if ever, enforced. The measure is expected to become law on June 1. Announcing his... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3218161/lgbtq-rights-still-lag-pacific-region-despite-cook-islands-move-lift-gay-sex-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3218161/lgbtq-rights-still-lag-pacific-region-despite-cook-islands-move-lift-gay-sex-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2023 21:00:08 +0000