After several years of declining funding, the African end of the Belt and Road Initiative seems to be roaring back. The newest Griffith University/Green Development Finance Center data on the Belt and Road Initiative shows that engagement with Africa jumped by 395%, while a few big projects boosted engagement in Nigeria alone more than twelvefold.
These shifts indicate a window of opportunity for African electrification. 60% of Africans still ...
Category: South Pacific
Solomon Islands Says China Not Influencing Diplomatic Decisions
By Ben Strang Solomon Islands defended its move to bar some partners from an influential summit of South Pacific leaders, brushing aside claims on Thursday of a looming split or that China is influencing its decisions.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Says ‘Outsiders’ Meddling in Regional Summit
By Ben Strang New Zealand's foreign minister said Thursday that foreign influence was threatening to split an upcoming annual summit of South Pacific leaders. Foreign Minister Winston Peters sounded the warning as the region's top ...
Australia Moves to Counter China With Vanuatu Security Pact
Australia on Wednesday hailed a breakthrough in efforts to sign a security agreement with Vanuatu, a deal that could dilute China's influence in the Pacific island nation. A delegation of Australian ministers ironed out the deal during negotiations on the slopes ...
Solomon Islands Bars China and Taiwan From Top Pacific Summit
Pacific nation Solomon Islands has said it would exclude non-member nations from a key regional summit in September, a group that includes China, Taiwan, and the United States. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said earlier this week he would defer a meeting ...
China Says No Ambition to Build South Pacific Military Base
China's embassy in Fiji has insisted Beijing is not seeking a military base in the South Pacific, saying aid pledged to developing island nations came with "no political strings attached". Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka warned this week against any Chinese ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Fiji PM Says Chinese Base Is Not Welcome
Fiji opposes the idea of a Chinese military base in the Pacific Islands, Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said on Wednesday. He told the National Press Club in Sydney that the island countries are navigating Chinese power and that Beijing knows he would lobby other countries in ...
New Zealand Cuts Aid to Cook Islands Over China Deal
New Zealand has paused $18.2 million in development aid to the Cook Islands because of a recent cooperation agreement with China. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is on an official visit to Beijing this week, said the small state didn’t consult New Zealand about the “breadth and ...
Cook Islands PM Says China Deals Do Not ‘Compromise’ Sovereignty
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday defended a string of contentious deals with China, saying they did not "compromise" the Pacific island nation's sovereignty. The agreements prompted major donor New Zealand to halt aid funding to close partner the ...
New Zealand Halts Aid to Cook Islands Over China Deals
New Zealand's government halted aid to close partner the Cook Islands on Thursday because of a row over agreements the Pacific island nation struck with China. New Zealand "paused" the payments and would not resume them until the Cook Islands took ...
China to Host Pacific Island Leaders, Seeking Closer Ties
China's top diplomat will host leaders from Pacific Island nations next week for a summit, Beijing announced on Wednesday, as it seeks closer ties with the strategic region. Leaders and diplomats from 11 Pacific Island nations, including Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Papua ...
Kiribati Eyes Deep-Sea Mining Deal With China
Pacific nation Kiribati says it is exploring a deep-sea mining partnership with China, dangling access to a vast patch of the Pacific Ocean harboring coveted metals and minerals. Beijing has been ramping up efforts to court Pacific nations sitting on lucrative ...
China Unapologetic After Live Firing Drills off Australian Coast
Beijing's ambassador to Canberra said Friday he would not apologize for surprise Chinese naval drills near Australia that forced dozens of commercial flights to change course. Some 49 flights were forced to divert last week when three Chinese warships announced live firing ...