Tag: South Pacific

Law Council Urges Kiribati to Respect Rule of Law After Attempts to Oust High Court Judge

Peak legal association, the Law Council of Australia, has urged the government of Kiribati to respect the independence of the judiciary following moves to deport one of two High Court judges from the country. Australian David Lambourne has been fighting a deportation notice from the authorities who accused him of breaching his visa conditions and…


Vanuatu Parliament Dissolved as Prime Minister Tries to Avoid No-Confidence Vote

Vanuatu’s president has dissolved the Pacific nation’s Parliament hours before a no-confidence motion was brought against Prime Minister Bob Loughman. The latest incident continues a tumultuous few weeks for democratic institutions in the South Pacific—already susceptible to influence from Beijing. On Aug. 18, Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu signed the notice to dissolve Parliament—the next elections…


Solomon Islands Strikes Deal to Build 161 Huawei Towers With $66 Million Chinese Loan

The Solomon Islands government has agreed to a 448.9 million yuan (US$66.15 million) loan from the Chinese state-owned Export-Import Bank of China to fund the construction of 161 towers by controversial telecommunications giant Huawei. In response, defence expert Michael Shoebridge has warned that Beijing is “moving fast and in a broad way” in the South…


Solomons PM Claims Election Delay a ‘One-Off’

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has assured Australian Pacific Minister Pat Conroy that his attempt to delay the country’s next election will be a “one-off.” The move comes after experts warned that Sogavare—who has cultivated deep ties with Beijing—could be emboldened to tighten control over the Pacific nation, a key goal of the Chinese…


‘It’s Happening’: Solomons PM Attempts to Delay Election Amid Beijing Influence

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has moved to delay elections citing the build-up to the Pacific Games in November 2023 as a reason. The move comes after South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal warned in March that Sogavare—who has cultivated deep ties with Beijing—could be emboldened to tighten control over the Pacific nation, a key…


Mourn and Grow Together: Dignitaries Commemorate 80th Anniversary of the Pacific Battle of Guadalcanal

Top diplomats have gathered in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bloody Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug. 7, 1942 to Feb. 9, 1943)—considered a turning point during the Second World War for the Allied forces. Among the attendees was Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Caroline Kennedy,…


Vanuatu takes Pro-China Stance Calling Taiwan an ‘Inalienable Part of China’

The government of Pacific nation Vanuatu has thrown its support behind the One China policy following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The overt declaration comes amid ongoing concerns of Beijing’s strong influence in the South Pacific and the threat of conflict around the Taiwan Strait. On Aug. 5, Silas Bule, the acting…


Vanuatu Takes Pro-Beijing Stance Calling Taiwan an ‘Inalienable Part of China’

The government of Pacific nation Vanuatu has thrown its support behind the One China policy following U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The overt declaration comes amid ongoing concerns of Beijing’s strong influence in the South Pacific and the threat of conflict around the Taiwan Strait. On Aug. 5, Silas Bule, the acting…


Beijing Looking to Buy Deep Water Port, WWII Airstrip in Solomon Islands

A Chinese state-owned firm is investigating the purchase of a deep water port and a World War II-era airstrip and marine base in the Solomon Islands, according to new documents obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The China Forestry Group Corporation, undethe r direct control of Beijing, is scoping out acquisition targets, including a forestry…


Concerns Over Violence, Election Fraud in Papua New Guinea, as Observers Call for Urgent Review

Election observers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are calling for an urgent review of the 2022 election after reported incidents of violence and issues leading to a “high numbers of eligible voters” being disenfranchised. In an Interim Statement on July 25, the chairperson of the Commonwealth Observers Group, former President of Nauru Baron Waqa said…