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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 ...

With an Eye on China, U.S. Moves to Ramp up Military Engagements With Fiji

The United States and Fiji have started work on a key agreement that could see American troops ramp up their presence in the Pacific nation, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said Saturday. Austin is the first sitting U.S. defense secretary to set ...

Big Polluters Urged to Pay as Key Pacific Summit Opens in Tonga

By Steven Trask Emissions-belching nations were challenged to stump up for climate-related damage as a key Pacific islands summit opened on Monday, with low-lying Tuvalu declaring: "If you pollute, you should pay." The Pacific Islands ...

China Props up Solomon Islands’ Budget With $20 Million Injection

The Solomon Islands will prop up its government budget with a $20 million injection from China, the developing Pacific state said Tuesday, as Beijing looks to strengthen its strategic foothold in the region. Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele announced the funding after ...

France lifts TikTok Ban in New Caledonia as Calm Returns

French authorities on Wednesday said they had lifted a ban on TikTok in New Caledonia, which they suspect is fueling recent unrest in the French Pacific territory. The move came after a state of emergency in New Caledonia ended on Tuesday, ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

The G20 Summit and the Half-Life of a Joke

When it was announced in 2023 that the African Union would become a full member of the G20, I darkly joked on a podcast that the AU’s entry into the body could very well mark the moment the G20 lost its status as one of the most important global coordination forums. Mark my words, I said, soon The Economist will be like “Uhhh, the G20 is OVER – it’s the ...

Xi Says ‘Saddened’ by PNG Landslide, Offers Assistance

China's President Xi Jinping said Monday he was "saddened" to learn of a landslide disaster in Papua New Guinea and offered help to the Pacific island nation. Papua New Guinea's authorities say more than 2,000 people have been buried in a ...

UPDATE: Paraguay, Pacific Island Leaders to Attend Taiwan Inauguration

Eight heads of state will be among the 51 international delegations attending the inauguration of Taiwan's new leader next week, Taipei said Friday. Incoming president Lai Ching-te will be sworn in on Monday against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic and military ...

Blinken Says U.S. Delivering for Pacific Islands Despite China’s Reach

The United States, boosted by allies and the private sector, is delivering for Pacific islands even if Washington alone cannot match China's growing footprint, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said late Friday. Blinken spoke after lawmakers in the Solomon Islands, whose ...

Solomons to Choose PM on May 2, China Ties at Stake

The Solomon Islands will choose a prime minister on Thursday after a general election left the existing pro-China government's future in the balance. Lawmakers will meet in parliament to elect the Pacific nation's leader at 9:30 am May 2 (2230 GMT ...

Pro-China Solomons PM Fails To Secure Outright Majority

The incumbent prime minister of Solomon Islands was set to fall short of an outright election majority Monday, forcing the pro-Beijing Pacific leader to woo an unwieldy mix of potential coalition partners. According to provisional results reported by the public broadcaster, ...

Pro-China Local Leader Ousted in Solomon Islands Election: Early Results

Beijing's bid to build influence across the Solomon Islands hit a major snag Friday, with the pro-China premier of the Pacific nation's most populous province set to lose his seat in country-wide elections. Malaita premier Martin Fini, who has overseen the ...