Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare could engineer a “false flag” event to tighten control over the Solomon Islands after his government entered a secret security deal with Beijing that could pave the way for Chinese troops to be stationed on the Island, according to a South Pacific expert. The agreement, if carried through, would establish a…
Beijing Military Deal Could Spur Solomons’ PM To Tighten Grip on Power: Expert
Australia to Welcome Back International Cruise Ships from April
International cruise ships will soon enter Australian waters again when a two-year ban on the industry due to COVID-19 is lifted in April. In a media release on Tuesday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said that based on medical advice, the government would not renew the ban on international cruise ships arriving at and departing from…
China Projects Invasion Power to the South Pacific, Trumps Empty AUKUS
Commentary The Chinese regime has escalated its effort to achieve military and political dominance in the Pacific by demonstrating its potential to deploy dominant force to the South Pacific, intimidate Australia and New Zealand, exploit its position in Antarctica to better control low Earth orbit, and support new hypersonic weapons. After years of the regime’s…
Tsunami Models Underestimated Shock Wave From Tonga Eruption
LONDON—The volcanic eruption in Tonga this month unleashed an atmospheric shock wave that radiated out at close to the speed of sound, pushing large waves across the Pacific to the shores of Japan and Peru, thousands of kilometers away. Forecasting models and warning systems, designed primarily to assess earthquake-triggered waves, did not account for the…
Scientists Struggle to Monitor Tonga Volcano After Massive Eruption
SINGAPORE—Scientists are struggling to monitor an active volcano that erupted off the South Pacific island of Tonga at the weekend, after the explosion destroyed its sea-level crater and drowned its mass, obscuring it from satellites. The eruption of Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano, which sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, sent tsunami waves across the…
Former Fijian PM Revives Political Career to Counteract Beijing’s Pacific Ambition
Former Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has announced he will enter the election race next year for the Pacific nation in a pledge to counteract Beijing influence. The 73-year-old politician, best known as the instigator of two military coups in 1987, told The Australian newspaper on Dec. 27 that Fiji needed to determine its own…
Australian Public Broadcaster to Step-Up Presence in Asia-Pacific Amid China Competition
The head of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) says the national broadcaster is looking to ramp up its presence in the Asia-Pacific seven years after it closed a dedicated service to the region. The move comes as competition for influence in the immediate South Pacific region heats up between Beijing and democratic allies. David Anderson,…
US Ambassador Warns Solomons Against Misusing Aid Funding to Benefit ‘One Party, One Bank Account’
The U.S. ambassador to the Solomon Islands has issued a warning against the misuse of aid funding and has spoken out for the first time on recent riots that saw parts of the capital, Honiara, burned to the ground. Erin McKee, U.S. ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu, said development assistance was…
New Caledonia Votes to Stay in France in Referendum
NOUMEA, New Caledonia—Voters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose overwhelmingly Sunday to stay part of France, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched around the South Pacific. French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the result as a resounding confirmation of France’s role in the Indo-Pacific, and announced negotiations on the…
Australia, NZ Intervention Prolonging Rule of Unpopular, Pro-Beijing Solomons Leader: Pacific Expert
Australia and New Zealand should adopt a hands-off approach to the Solomon Islands and leave embattled Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to deal with Beijing-linked bribery allegations and deep dissatisfaction with his rule, according to a South Pacific expert. Cleo Paskal, an associate fellow of the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House, said last November’s intervention from…
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