A rising tide swamps the currents of change

The past year has been a time of considerable change for the Pacific Islands, with new leadership, new partnerships and even the potential for new nations all coming into being.

2020 in the Asia Pacific

Pundits across the region have different views about the new year’s prospects for the Asia-Pacific, but all agree that great changes are afoot, with growing dangers to the established international order.

Solar powered freezers for Fiji

UNSW students and engineers are using human-centred engineering to help provide electricity to off-grid rural communities in Fiji.

The new great game in the South Pacific

We don’t have the funds to out-build China’s navy, and so Australia needs to understand and more meaningfully engage with its South Pacific neighbours to win hearts and minds as well as secure defence cooperation.

Turning point at Tulagi

Tulagi marked a turning point in the Pacific campaign during World War II, and the fate of the island today may once again signify a seismic shift in regional power.

One big Pacific family?

Despite the lip-service paid to our “Pacific Family”, how genuine is Australia’s concern for welfare and prosperity of Pacific Island countries when aid increasingly advantages external corporate interests at the expense of PIC communities?

Australia-Pacific connections for a digital future

Pacific Connect brings together emerging leaders and entrepreneurs from across the South Pacific and a recent Ideas Exchange at NSW Parliament House showed the power of the program to make meaningful connections.

Why the Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched sides

Kiribati and Solomon Islands have switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China and the move is about more than the Chinese Communist Party’s relentless campaign to isolate Taiwan.

Australia on the rocks in the Pacific

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd argues that Australia’s inactivity on climate change is damaging our ability to ‘Step Up’ regional engagement in the Pacific and counter the growing influence of China.

Bainimarama visit highlights Pacific “family ties”

Scott Morrison has emphasised Australia’s ‘family relationship’ with Pacific nations, and we’ll get a good idea of the state of relations when Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama visits Canberra this week.

Climate, coal and kinship in Australia-Pacific relations

Australia’s efforts at developing a positive relationship with the Pacific Islands appear to be shadowed by Australia’s continued reliance on coal, which has greatly angered Pacific leaders.

Aid must cover more than infrastructure

Improving Pacific infrastructure will help the region’s development, but a wider range of aid is required to help Pacific islands make the most of their potential.