Pacific islands bask in the global spotlight

Alarmed by China’s rise, traditional powers are now stepping up their engagement with the Pacific region to actively compete with China.

A new track for Pacific policy?

Thanks to the efforts of Penny Wong, the new Labor government has hit the ground running in the Pacific, but will it set policy on the right track?

Hitting misinformation for six in the Pacific

A shortage of resources and investment from major digital platforms has left the Pacific region battling a campaign of misinformation and under-moderation.

Forging the Pacific way

Despite the diplomatic disputes of recent years, existential issues such as climate change offer island nations a common cause to pursue a united “Pacific way”.

Locking in Pacific security

The Pacific Island Forum should create a forum like the ASEAN Regional Forum to provide opportunities for Pacific states to collectively engage with partners on security matters.

Keeping everyone in the Pacific tent

A last-minute agreement has avoided rupture in the Pacific Islands Forum, but as the agreement was negotiated both regional strengths and vulnerabilities were revealed.

Mobile workers boost Pacific prosperity

Pacific Island countries should negotiate with wealthier trade partners for special visa arrangements and immigration schemes to boost Pacific prosperity.

The Pacific’s not a nuclear dumping ground

Japan plans to dump radioactive water from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean, with potentially harmful effects on Pacific marine life and island economies.

China looms large over the Pacific Islands Forum

The looming threat of Chinese power may serve to reunited a Pacific Islands Forum riven with disunity at the first face-to-face meeting for over two years.

China in the Pacific

As ‘traditional’ partners such as the United States and Australia reevaluate Pacific policies to limit Chinese presence, the Pacific Island nations themselves are playing off the global superpowers to maximise their own influence and benefits.

Measuring China’s diplomatic reach in the Pacific

Chinese companies now dominate the construction, energy and mining sectors of many Pacific Island states, increasing that nation’s diplomatic and economic grip on the region.

How the Chinese silenced Pacific media

Media coverage of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to the South Pacific was effectively silenced, highlighting the fragility of a free media in the region.