A no-confidence vote against Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has failed in the country’s Parliament amid increasing unrest and dissatisfaction with his tenure as the Pacific nation’s leader. On Dec. 6, Sogavare’s backers easily voted down the motion of no confidence, 32 to 15. However, the prime minister gave a scathing, 90-minute address against…
Solomon Islands Leader Survives No-Confidence Vote Amid Increasing Discontent
December 6, 2021
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Fiji Dispatches Troops to Troubled Solomon Islands
November 29, 2021
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The prime minister of Fiji has announced the deployment of 50 soldiers to the Solomon Islands after riots saw numerous buildings razed to the ground. The contingent will join the mostly Australian forces—with 34 Papua New Guinean troops—already dispatched to the island to maintain peace and order. “Out of concern for the safety and well-being…
Australia Blocks China With $1.6 Billion Takeover of South Pacific Telco
October 24, 2021
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The Australian federal government and major telecommunications firm Telstra have pulled the trigger on a US$1.6 billion (AU$2.1 billion) takeover of a dominant South Pacific mobile telecommunications business amid ongoing concerns Beijing could step in and deepen its foothold in the region. The government and Telstra announced its decision on Oct. 25 to acquire the…
Incredible Photoshoot Shows Diver’s Breathtaking Closeup Encounter With Humpback Whale Calf
October 8, 2021
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This incredible photoshoot shows a husband and wife’s amazing closeup encounter with a group of humpback whales. David Edgar, 32, and his wife Alice, 33, were diving in the beautiful crystal-clear waters off the islands of Tonga in the South Pacific. The couple were following a group of three humpback whales—a mother, her calf, and…
Australia Changes Tack, Focuses on Sport to Win the Pacific From Beijing
September 3, 2021
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Australia is considering an ambitious sporting diplomacy mission to deepen engagement in the South Pacific region, amid increasing competition with Beijing’s encroaching hegemony. “Team AusPac” is an initiative being recommended to the federal government following an extensive inquiry into improving trade and relations with Pacific Island nations. The proposal would see an expansion of existing…
Australia Bankrolls $68M Fiji Airport, Amid Pacific Competition With Beijing
August 2, 2021
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Australia will provide $68 million to Fiji to assist with airport upgrades amid a wider influence push into the South Pacific region against Beijing’s encroaching hegemony. The government-backed Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific (AIFFP) will partner with ANZ Bank to support infrastructure upgrades to increase passenger capacity at Nadi International Airport to help…
France, South Pacific Nations to Combat ‘Predatory’ Fishing as China Extends Reach
PARIS—French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday France and South Pacific nations would launch a South Pacific coastguard network to counter “predatory” behavior, which an adviser said was aimed at illegal fishing, as China expands its maritime reach. The United States and allies including France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, are actively expanding their activity…
Australian Government Moves to Block China via Telco Takeover of Pacific Telecom
July 19, 2021
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The Australian government is backing telecommunications giant Telstra to potentially buy out Digicel’s mobile operations in the South Pacific, amid concerns a Chinese-backed company could swoop in and establish a foothold for Beijing to expand its influence. On July 19, Telstra confirmed discussions were underway for a buyout, but there was no certainty around a…
The West Versus Prejudice: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘South Pacific’
“You’ve got to be taught to be afraid/ Of people whose eyes are oddly made/ And people whose skin is a different shade/ You’ve got to be carefully taught,” sings Lt. Cable in “South Pacific,” objecting bitterly to the prejudice that has kept him from committing to the Tonkinese woman he loves. In 1950, a…
Nine Pacific Nations to ‘Deepen Exchanges’ With Beijing
June 2, 2021
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Leaders from nine Pacific Island nations have vowed to deepen their relationship with Beijing, fight the pandemic, and continue collaborating on major infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The pledge comes amid an ongoing tug-of-war between Beijing and democratic allies in the South Pacific region. In late May, top Chinese Communist Party…
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