https://www.scmp.com/rss/519437/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France on Saturday announced a “historic” accord with New Caledonia in which the overseas territory, rocked by deadly separatist violence last year, would remain French but be declared a new state. President Emmanuel Macron had called for talks to break a deadlock between forces loyal to France and those wanting independence, asking New Caledonian elected officials, as well as political, economic and civil society leaders, to gather near Paris to hammer out a constitutional framework for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317992/france-new-caledonia-reach-historic-statehood-deal-citizens-remain-french?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317992/france-new-caledonia-reach-historic-statehood-deal-citizens-remain-french?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 11:23:34 +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 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 A pro-independence leader in the French Pacific territory New Caledonia would be held in France after being charged on Saturday over deadly riots last month, his lawyer said. Christian Tein, head of the CCAT group, will be sent almost 17,000km (10,500 miles) to France with the group’s communications chief Brenda Wanabo. An investigating magistrate charged Tein in New Caledonia’s capital Noumea on Saturday. He was the first from a group of 11 people arrested on Wednesday to be charged over the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3267673/new-caledonia-independence-activist-be-held-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3267673/new-caledonia-independence-activist-be-held-france?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 14:35:35 +0000 President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that a voting reform that triggered deadly riots in French Pacific territory New Caledonia would be “suspended” in light of snap parliamentary polls. Instead, he aimed to “give full voice to local dialogue and the restoration of order” after weeks of unrest in which nine people died, Macron told reporters at a Paris press conference. The reform would have allowed people living in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to vote in local ballots – unfreezing... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3266358/frances-macron-suspends-new-caledonia-reform-sparked-deadly-riots-after-snap-polls-called?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3266358/frances-macron-suspends-new-caledonia-reform-sparked-deadly-riots-after-snap-polls-called?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:40:09 +0000 A policeman in riot-hit New Caledonia killed a man on Friday after being attacked by protesters, as President Emmanuel Macron warned against the French Pacific territory turning into a new “Wild West.” The latest fatality was a blow to hopes for calm after Macron’s visit, which some officials had seen as heralding an end to more than a week of violence that has now killed seven people. Macron flew on Thursday to the southwest Pacific archipelago, located some 17,000 kilometres (10,600 miles)... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3263997/new-caledonia-riots-man-shot-dead-police-after-protesters-attack-prosecutors-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3263997/new-caledonia-riots-man-shot-dead-police-after-protesters-attack-prosecutors-office?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 09:57:27 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday after a day of talks in New Caledonia that he would delay a voting reform that had triggered deadly riots on the French-ruled Pacific island, and try to seek a new political agreement. The decision came the same day France’s top court declined to suspend a temporary ban of short video app TikTok in New Caledonia, which had been imposed to tackle street violence. Speaking in the capital Noumea after meeting local political leaders, Macron said his... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3263865/new-caledonia-riots-frances-emmanuel-macron-delays-voting-reform-tiktok-ban-stays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3263865/new-caledonia-riots-frances-emmanuel-macron-delays-voting-reform-tiktok-ban-stays?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2024 17:17:21 +0000 As Australian and New Zealand planes begin evacuating citizens from the embattled Pacific island of New Caledonia on Tuesday after a week of riots, France will continue to come under pressure over its refusal to decolonise the territory, analysts say. Violent protests broke out in the island territory northeast of Australia last week after Paris extended voting rights to French people who have lived in New Caledonia for 10 years or more, thus potentially diluting the indigenous Kanak people’s... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263541/new-caledonia-riots-inequalities-lack-indigenous-voice-expose-failures-french-democratic-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263541/new-caledonia-riots-inequalities-lack-indigenous-voice-expose-failures-french-democratic-system?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:10 +0000 Australia and New Zealand said they will send government planes to New Caledonia on Tuesday to evacuate nationals from the French territory, which has experienced a week of deadly riots, sparked by electoral changes by the French government in Paris. France’s High Commission in New Caledonia said on Tuesday the islands’ airport remains closed for commercial flights, and it will deploy the military to protect public buildings. There were around 3,200 people waiting to leave or enter New Caledonia... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3263451/australia-new-zealand-scramble-evacuate-tourists-riot-hit-new-caledonia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3263451/australia-new-zealand-scramble-evacuate-tourists-riot-hit-new-caledonia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 May 2024 04:51:31 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron’s ambitions to deepen French influence in the Pacific, where China is expanding its security ties, could be put at risk by the heavy-handed response to civil unrest in New Caledonia, Pacific analysts and officials said. Deadly riots erupted this week among indigenous Kanak, after Paris changed voting rules to allow more French residents to join electoral rolls in the Pacific territory. The violence and the arrival of hundreds of police from Paris are reigniting... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3263149/macrons-response-french-territory-new-caledonia-risks-helping-china-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3263149/macrons-response-french-territory-new-caledonia-risks-helping-china-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 May 2024 13:52:28 +0000 France declared a state of emergency and banned the TikTok short-video app on the Pacific island of New Caledonia on Wednesday after three young indigenous Kanak and a police official were killed in riots over electoral reform. The state of emergency, which entered into force at 5am local time,, gives authorities additional powers to ban gatherings and forbid people from moving around the French-ruled island. Police reinforcements adding 500 officers to the 1,800 usually present on the island,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3262838/france-declares-state-emergency-bans-tiktok-new-caledonia-amid-deadly-riots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3262838/france-declares-state-emergency-bans-tiktok-new-caledonia-amid-deadly-riots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 20:56:18 +0000 People in New Caledonia’s main city Noumea assessed the damage on Tuesday after a night of rioting in the French Pacific territory that saw vehicles and shops torched, and shots fired at security forces. Riots erupted on Monday over a constitutional reform that is being debated in the national assembly in Paris, and which aims to expand the electorate in the territory’s provincial elections. Groups of demonstrators took over several roundabouts and confronted police, who responded with... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3262610/cars-torched-shots-fired-riot-rocks-french-pacific-territory-new-caledonia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3262610/cars-torched-shots-fired-riot-rocks-french-pacific-territory-new-caledonia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 07:01:28 +0000 As China flexes its muscles in the region, European powers have increasingly made their presence felt through defence arrangements and naval port calls, prompting questions on whether their presence is helpful or a hindrance to safety in contested waters. But experts do agree that common interests in ensuring access to secure maritime routes mean that European powers will continue to extend their outreach into what is now known by many as the Indo-Pacific. In 2021, a German warship sailed into... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3247451/likely-agitate-china-european-powers-step-their-indo-pacific-presence-mixed-southeast-asian-reaction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3247451/likely-agitate-china-european-powers-step-their-indo-pacific-presence-mixed-southeast-asian-reaction?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jan 2024 04:00:13 +0000 The Hong Kong-owned SHK Scallywag supermaxi has been forced to retire from the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race with a broken bowsprit just hours after it started. With thunderstorms and hail threatening to lash crews making the 628-nautical-mile (1,200km) crossing to the Tasmanian capital, Scallywag had been among the favourites to challenge Andoo Comanche for line honours. But despite making a strong start, Scallywag dropped back into third place after taking a penalty turn, organisers said. It... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3246264/sydney-hobart-race-hong-kongs-scallywag-skipper-says-its-all-or-nothing-fleet-sets-sail-storms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3246264/sydney-hobart-race-hong-kongs-scallywag-skipper-says-its-all-or-nothing-fleet-sets-sail-storms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2023 06:16:24 +0000 The Philippines and France agreed on Saturday to ramp up military ties, including possible negotiations to allow soldiers from each country into the other’s territory. French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro signed a letter of intent in Manila to boost bilateral defence cooperation. “We intend to take concrete steps to levelling up and making more comprehensive our defence cooperation,” Teodoro told a joint press conference. That included seeking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3243634/philippines-france-agree-ramp-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3243634/philippines-france-agree-ramp-defence-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Dec 2023 11:15:26 +0000 The mayor of future Olympic host city Paris says she is quitting X, accusing Elon Musk’s platform previously known as Twitter of spreading disinformation and hatred and of becoming a “gigantic global sewer” that is toxic for democracy and constructive debate. “With its thousands of anonymous accounts and its troll farms, life on Twitter is the exact opposite of democratic life,” Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in a long post titled “Why I am leaving Twitter”. “I refuse to endorse this evil scheme,” she... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3243007/paris-mayor-anne-hidalgo-quit-musks-global-sewer-x-city-gears-2024-summer-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3243007/paris-mayor-anne-hidalgo-quit-musks-global-sewer-x-city-gears-2024-summer-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:10:10 +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 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 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 French President Emmanuel Macron made a brief but historic stopover in Sri Lanka last month, in a show of France’s desire to offer an “alternative” to the big-power tussle between China, India and the West for influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Macron’s visit comes as France and Sri Lanka mark 75 years of relations, and as both countries aim to boost cooperation in areas such as development aid, maritime security and trade. Analysts say their growing friendship is driven by mutual interests,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232364/france-offers-third-way-sri-lanka-balances-china-india-ties-it-late-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3232364/france-offers-third-way-sri-lanka-balances-china-india-ties-it-late-party?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Aug 2023 03:30:21 +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 During his recent speech at the Solomon Islands National University, Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy said strategic competition was an “unavoidable reality for our region”. In July, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare visited China; French President Emmanuel Macron travelled to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia; and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a trip to Tonga (Australia and New Zealand). This follows... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3230783/australia-should-offer-pacific-family-visa-access-and-not-react-whack-mole-china-moves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3230783/australia-should-offer-pacific-family-visa-access-and-not-react-whack-mole-china-moves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2023 11:00:14 +0000 At a China-France dialogue in Beijing last month, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng expressed hope that France “will stabilise the tone of friendly cooperation” with the European Union. This comes as French President Emmanuel Macron tries to promote Europe’s strategic autonomy amid the great power contest between the US and China. Beijing’s promise of increased economic cooperation suggests it wants help from Paris to repair its deteriorating ties with the EU. But the manoeuvre could fail if China... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230091/why-china-should-tread-carefully-around-french-interests-africa-and-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230091/why-china-should-tread-carefully-around-french-interests-africa-and-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Aug 2023 16:30:10 +0000 It’s funny to hear Emmanuel Macron warning the people of French New Caledonia against the dangers of foreign domination. It’s not just a matter of the colonisers telling the colonised about the dangers of imperialism. Rather, it’s more to do with what the French president is doing specifically in the tiny South Pacific territory at this time. “If independence means that tomorrow you’ll decide to have a Chinese base here, or to be dependent on another maritime fleet, good luck with that – that’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3229285/emmanuel-macron-and-new-imperialism-south-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3229285/emmanuel-macron-and-new-imperialism-south-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:00:22 +0000 A major diplomatic counteroffensive against Beijing’s influence in the Indo-Pacific is fully under way, and there’s no better sign than Western leaders visiting the region’s once-neglected islands – all at once. The most prominent figures island-hopping this week include French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. And US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin also travelled to Papua New Guinea, while Britain’s Armed Forces Minister James Heappey stopped in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229182/western-officials-make-beeline-indo-pacific-counter-chinas-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3229182/western-officials-make-beeline-indo-pacific-counter-chinas-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 21:41:45 +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 Last week, the French navy’s Aquitaine-class destroyer Lorraine made a port call in the Philippines after departing Japan. The itinerary is part of the ship’s long-duration deployment to the region. The port call coincided with the visit of Rear Admiral Geoffroy d’Andigné, joint commander of the French armed forces in the Asia-Pacific, to Manila where he met senior foreign affairs, defence and military officials. This demonstrates France’s desire to play a greater role in the Indo-Pacific as a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226798/frances-indo-pacific-foray-going-full-steam-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226798/frances-indo-pacific-foray-going-full-steam-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:30:12 +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 Scores of disembowelled sharks have washed up on a South African beach putting the spotlight on a pair of shark-hunting killer whales whose behaviour has fascinated scientists and wildlife enthusiasts. Marine biologists were alerted to the find by beach walkers who stumbled upon the grim sight last week in Gansbaai, a small fishing port 150 kilometres (93 miles) southeast of Cape Town. “The dead sharks are torn open at the pelvic girdle, they have Orca teeth marks known as rake marks on their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3212557/orcas-shock-south-african-scientists-unusual-cold-blooded-killing-sharks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3212557/orcas-shock-south-african-scientists-unusual-cold-blooded-killing-sharks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:30:19 +0000 A shark killed a 59-year-old Australian tourist on Sunday near a crowded beach in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, authorities said. The man was swimming close to a pontoon around 150 metres (500 feet) from the beach in the capital Noumea when the shark attacked, biting him several times, they said. Two people sailing their boat nearby rushed him back to the beach, where emergency services tried to save him. The man had major bite wounds on his leg and both arms, local prosecutor... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3210786/shark-kills-australian-tourist-swimming-near-crowded-beach-new-caledonia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3210786/shark-kills-australian-tourist-swimming-near-crowded-beach-new-caledonia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 01:19:59 +0000 Despite recent moves to expand engagement with Pacific island nations, China’s aid to the region has fallen to a new low amid declining appetites for new infrastructure lending and tightened capital controls in Beijing, according to a Sydney-based think tank. China’s total amount of development financing to 14 island nations fell to US$187 million in 2020, the lowest annual level recorded by the yearly Pacific Aid Map, part of the findings released by the Lowy Institute on Wednesday. China’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207985/chinese-lending-dips-new-low-pacific-islands-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3207985/chinese-lending-dips-new-low-pacific-islands-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jan 2023 10:00:12 +0000 A People’s Liberation Army warship’s solo trip deep into the South Pacific is believed to have been a test of the Chinese navy’s refuelling and supply capacity at sea. The PLA Navy’s guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan (hull number 175) had been sailing near the exclusive economic zone of New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the South Pacific, about 1,500km east of Australia, according to a French defence ministry tweet on December 29. French navy jets tracked and photographed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3206010/chinese-navy-warship-spotted-south-pacific-may-have-been-high-seas-resupply-trial-run?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3206010/chinese-navy-warship-spotted-south-pacific-may-have-been-high-seas-resupply-trial-run?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2023 03:00:17 +0000 More than 100 yachts set sail Monday in the Sydney-Hobart race as favourable winds raised hopes for a record time in one of the world’s most punishing ocean events. Fans gathered at coastal vantage points and on scores of spectator boats for a crowded start in the sun-splashed Sydney Harbour, which hours earlier had been shrouded in a thick fog that halted all ferry traffic. A starting cannon fired to release 109 yachts on the 1,200km blue water classic. Crews dashed to get out of the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3204574/sydney-hobart-andoo-comanche-takes-early-lead-near-collisions-mark-dramatic-start-annual-yacht-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3204574/sydney-hobart-andoo-comanche-takes-early-lead-near-collisions-mark-dramatic-start-annual-yacht-race?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Dec 2022 06:45:09 +0000 President Emmanuel Macron on Friday urged an end to “confrontation” as he outlined his vision for France’s engagement with the Asia-Pacific region. Macron is attending the 21-strong Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok as he seeks to relaunch France’s strategy for the region in the face of growing US-China competition. France wants to play a stabilising role in the region to avert confrontation, Macron told a gathering of business leaders on the sidelines of the summit. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3200091/macron-says-france-doesnt-believe-confrontation-asia-us-china-power-struggle-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3200091/macron-says-france-doesnt-believe-confrontation-asia-us-china-power-struggle-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 06:51:54 +0000 French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that an offer to cooperate with Australia on submarines still stood, after a bitter row over a cancelled contract last year threatened to torpedo relations. Macron was left furious when Australia’s previous prime minister Scott Morrison abruptly tore up a contract for France to build a dozen diesel-powered submarines and announced a deal to buy US or British nuclear-powered subs. The row derailed relations and threatened to sink an EU-Australia... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3199935/macron-says-france-still-open-reviving-scrapped-submarine-deal-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3199935/macron-says-france-still-open-reviving-scrapped-submarine-deal-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Nov 2022 06:45:59 +0000 China is likely to regard this week’s US-Pacific summit as an attempt to increase the pressure on Beijing in the region, analysts have said. The two-day summit with 14 Pacific island governments in Washington began on Wednesday, the first event of its kind, and is expected to conclude with a joint partnership declaration covering areas such as trade, security, and climate change. Total investment under the partnership is expected to reach over US$860 million, according to The Washington... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194299/china-facing-increased-competition-us-pacific-washington-hosts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194299/china-facing-increased-competition-us-pacific-washington-hosts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:15:06 +0000 The US has pledged to roll out a strategic plan and “big dollar” assistance at a two-day Pacific Island Nations summit that opened on Wednesday amid hopes that the pomp and “deliverables” of a state visit in Washington will prove a match for China’s growing clout and presence in the Indo-Pacific. The region has emerged as a high-profile wrestling pit between the US and China. But critics say the US took the small but strategically important Pacific Island nations for granted until China... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3194184/pacific-island-nations-summit-us-hopes-restore-influence-region-eroded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3194184/pacific-island-nations-summit-us-hopes-restore-influence-region-eroded?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 21:47:07 +0000 The United States will announce “big dollar” assistance to Pacific island nations when President Joe Biden hosts a first-of-its-kind summit with their leaders on Wednesday, a gathering Washington hopes will help counter China’s expanding influence in a new theatre of geopolitical competition. Leaders from 12 Pacific island states are expected to take part in a two-day summit in Washington, with two more sending representatives, and Australia and New Zealand attending as observers. White House... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194151/us-vows-big-dollar-help-pacific-islands-it-seeks-counter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3194151/us-vows-big-dollar-help-pacific-islands-it-seeks-counter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Sep 2022 12:28:49 +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 Germany and France’s recent military deployments in the Indo-Pacific highlight Nato’s growing concern about China, according to a military analyst. The German Air Force has sent 13 military aircraft to the region for the first time to take part in the multinational Pitch Black exercises in Australia and last year sent a warship to the South China Sea for the first time in 20 years. Australia and Nato members begin air combat drills as China tensions grow “We want to demonstrate that we can be in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3190414/french-and-german-air-forces-pacific-missions-highlight-nato?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3190414/french-and-german-air-forces-pacific-missions-highlight-nato?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Aug 2022 22:00:25 +0000 I got my first whiff of sandalwood 25 years ago, in a blend of burning incense at a tiny Buddhist shrine in Lopburi, soon after landing in Thailand from Los Angeles as a lowly English teacher on July 3, 1997. Unlike other precious commodities of their time, such as silk, pepper, tea and gunpowder, the story of sandalwood is not well documented. But after being so quickly intoxicated by the incense smoke in Lopburi – my first day in Asia – over the next quarter of a century it would become a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3187057/sandalwood-its-history-medicinal-uses-buddhist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3187057/sandalwood-its-history-medicinal-uses-buddhist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jul 2022 03:15:24 +0000 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a “new start” in relations with France as he met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday, after an acrimonious row between the countries over a submarine contract last year. “My presence here represents a new start for our countries’ relationship,” Albanese said after arriving at the Elysee Palace. “Australia’s relationship with France matters. Trust, respect and honesty matter. This is how I will approach my relations,” he added. Macron... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3183863/albanese-macron-cheer-fresh-start-australia-france-ties-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3183863/albanese-macron-cheer-fresh-start-australia-france-ties-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2022 13:21:44 +0000 France go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament just weeks after they chose centrist Emmanuel Macron president over far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in a run-off race that was tighter than he anticipated. Around 48.7 million registered voters can cast their ballots for the 577 seats in the National Assembly. But the biggest threat for Macron in the first round of the parliamentary elections does not come from the right. It comes from left-wing veteran Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3181381/president-emmanuel-macrons-absolute-majority-risk-france-elects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3181381/president-emmanuel-macrons-absolute-majority-risk-france-elects?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2022 03:45:08 +0000 The Solomon Islands must have run out of red carpet after welcoming senior officials from Australia, the United States and Japan in quick succession. The South Pacific archipelago might not have anticipated the intense reaction to its recent security agreement with China, especially from the region’s traditional powers. But while this accord was not China’s first foray into Oceania, a foothold in the Solomons will be a milestone in its long swim across the Pacific. China has already become the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3176343/why-china-solomon-islands-pact-making-waves-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3176343/why-china-solomon-islands-pact-making-waves-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2022 17:30:20 +0000 Successive Australian governments have lined up over recent decades to emphasise the importance of the Pacific region to Australian interests. While there are some differences in emphasis between the two major parties’ approach to the Pacific, we can expect considerable continuity in Australia’s approach to the region if there is a change of government in May. Regional capitals will be early destinations for newly-elected ministers. The Pacific will remain the main focus of the Australian aid... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3174828/pacific-challenges-await-next-australian-government-amid-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3174828/pacific-challenges-await-next-australian-government-amid-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:00:22 +0000 A Chinese tycoon who built a massive short position in nickel futures is facing billions of dollars in mark-to-market losses after this week’s unprecedented price spike, according to people familiar with the matter. Xiang Guangda, who controls the world’s largest nickel producer, Tsingshan Holding Group, and is known as “Big Shot” in Chinese commodity circles, has closed out part of his company’s short position and is considering whether to exit the wager altogether, the people said. Nickel... https://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/3169775/chinese-tycoon-xiang-guangda-behind-big-nickel-short-facing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/3169775/chinese-tycoon-xiang-guangda-behind-big-nickel-short-facing?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Mar 2022 03:45:15 +0000 I was born in 1953 in Branscombe, a small village in Devon (in southwest England), and we lived a couple of miles outside the village. Although I was born eight years after the second world war, we still had rationing, so it was fairly austere. My father was a farm labourer, my mother worked for the market garden and I had a younger brother and sister. It was a tremendous place to grow up, we had the beach in the summer and shooting in the winter, but I knew there were no jobs unless I wanted to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3165424/ship-captain-who-rescued-crashed-plane-hong-kongs-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3165424/ship-captain-who-rescued-crashed-plane-hong-kongs-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Feb 2022 05:15:09 +0000 To Russian international relations scholar Artyom Lukin, it’s only a matter of time before Aukus – the military partnership between Australia, Britain and the United States – grows to include US security ally Japan and becomes Jaukus. The emergence of Jaukus would strengthen Washington’s aim of countering China’s growing reach in the Indo-Pacific region, but it might also prompt the creation of Rucndprk, comprising Russia, China and North Korea, said Lukin in a paper published in December by the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3164206/if-japan-joins-aukus-will-china-russia-north-korea-make-rucndprk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3164206/if-japan-joins-aukus-will-china-russia-north-korea-make-rucndprk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jan 2022 04:06:13 +0000