Category: pacific island

Former Fijian PM Frank Bainimarama Banned From Parliament for ‘Seditious’ Speech

February 21, 2023
Asia & PacificAustraliachina-pacificFijiFrank BainimaramaInternationalpacific islandPoliticsSitiveni RabukaWorld
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Fiji’s former prime minister and incumbent opposition leader Frank Bainimarama has been banned from parliament for three years after making “seditious” remarks and insulting the president. The Fijian Parliament voted on the decision to terminate Bainimarama on Friday, with Bainimarama being accused of breaching parliamentary privileges. Bainimarama, Fiji’s longest-serving PM and leader of the FijiFirst…

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US Pledges $810 Million to Pacific Islands as ‘Enduring Commitment’ to Counter Beijing’s Influence

September 29, 2022
Asia & PacificJoe Bidenpacific islandUSUS NewsWorld
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U.S. President Joe Biden on Sept. 29 announced US$810 million in new funding to Pacific Island nations over the next decade as the U.S. seeks to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region. The meeting comes after Beijing and the Solomon Islands signed off on a security pact in April, which received strong pushback from…

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Pacific Islanders Say ‘No Thanks’ to Chinese ‘Friendship’

June 6, 2022
ChinaGlobal ExpansionOpinionpacific islandSpecial TopicsThinking About China
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Commentary In late May, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a virtual summit with the leaders of several Pacific Island republics to entice them into joining a Beijing-led mutual security and economic agreement. It did not end well. During the summit, Beijing proposed that the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji,…

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China Strikes Deal With Pacific Nation Samoa, Including a Toehold in Local Policing

May 29, 2022
anthony albaneseAsia & PacificAustraliaChinachina-australiaChina-Australia RelationsforeignaffairsGlobal ExpansionInternational Relationspacific islandPenny WongSpecial TopicsUS-China relationsWorld
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China inked a deal with the Pacific island nation of Samoa on Saturday to deepen diplomatic ties, as China’s ruling communist party (CCP) and democratic nations in the region continued rival campaigns to woo undecided governments into their competing sphere of influence. The China-Somoa agreement is the first deal signed by Chinese foreign minister Wang…

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Battleground: US, China Compete for the Pacific Islands—With Cleo Paskal

March 22, 2022
bidenChinaChina InsidercompetitionEpochTVFijiGlobal ExpansionIndo-PacificMicronesiapacific islandPalausolomon islands-chinaSpecial TopicsUS
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While America is busy elsewhere, China is trying to win over the island nations in the Pacific. From the Solomon Islands to Fiji, these key strategic locations matter. Landing strips, ports, and possible missile sites are what China seeks. Can American diplomacy wrestle with China on economic, political, and diplomatic fronts to win influence? Join…

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