Podcasts about Solomon Islands

Estimates suggest a million people might be denied their right to vote in the Papua New Guinea election because their names are not on the electoral roll. There are fears it might lead to violence, with many expected to be turned away at voting booths. Also, a Papuan-Australian woman is denied entry into a nightclub due to traditional face markings.

Tuesday 28 June 2022 The local share market surges following a massive boost from Wall Street Also today: The shocking truth behind the gender pay gap Anthony Albanese's Solomon Islands phone call And the big money on offer for the new wave of social media stars Support the show: https://fearandgreed.com.au/all-episodes See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A version of this essay has been published at https://swarajyamag.com/world/the-rules-based-liberal-world-order-or-whatever-is-coming-apart-at-the-seamsI don’t know about you, but I have long been a fan of the ‘liberal rules-based international order’, although to be quite honest, I have had only a rather vague idea what it meant. It sounded pretty good, though. I mean, how could any reasonable person be against ‘liberal’, ‘order’, and ‘rules-based’? It is only lately that I have learned this is strictly a marketing moniker.It’s a bit like the Moral Majority, which has a nice ring to it, and made waves as a bunch of fiery literalist Bible-thumpers some years ago. It turned out, alas, that they were neither particularly ‘moral’ and certainly not a ‘majority’.  If I recall correctly some of its brightest stars were found in flagrante delicto, including one fire-and-brimstone preacher who was caught twice in cars with street prostitutes.Just like the ‘Holy Roman Empire’ was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.Similarly, the ‘liberal rules-based international order’ is neither liberal, nor rules-based, nor an order. It is essentially a post-World-War-II mechanism to perpetuate the rule of the victors in that conflict, giving them a free pass in world affairs for as long as possible. In particular, it was an arrangement that assumed that the US would remain the paramount global power for the foreseeable future. That ‘order’ almost immediately fell  apart because the Soviets and the Americans started a rivalry for spheres of influence, including the Soviet evangelization of communism. The Americans embraced the Domino Theory and began counter-evangelization of democracy as the antidote to all the evils of society. This ended up in the Cold War, although to be fair, the US did help a number of its allies to prosper. They were mostly white European countries, but also East Asians. Through the power of suggestion (hurrah, New York Times and Hollywood) we have been led to believe that the world is moving steadily towards the triumph of ‘democracy’, which turns out to be a euphemism for a world where Western European/American dominance is written into law.Note how this means the United Nations Security Council has France and Britain, who really don’t deserve to be there; but not Germany and Japan, who do, along with Brazil, South Africa and India. Similarly there is a (written or unwritten?) rule that the World Bank’s President has to be an American. This was followed scrupulously until a South Korean (presumably a friend of America) was given the job in 2012. It is now back to an American.Along the same lines, the IMF’s Managing Director has always been a Western European, with the current incumbent being a Bulgarian former World Bank acting President, with a bit of a chequered past: she was found to have inflated Chinese data to make it look better during her term at the World Bank.Similar stories, I suspect, can be told about all the other major multinational organizations, for instance the WHO which the Chinese have turned into their fiefdom. The Russians, who probably did more to defeat the Germans in WW2 than anybody else, have been denied much of a role. Thank you for reading Shadow Warrior. This post is public so feel free to share it.That old caste system has a ‘First World’ consisting of the US and Western Europe, a ‘Second World’ consisting of the Soviet Union/Russia and Eastern Europe, and a ‘Third World’ consisting of everybody else. There have been some minor changes, such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the UAE becoming honorary (but not full-fledged) members of the First World. The other side of the picture is a certain feudalism that this caste system perpetrated, and that has persisted throughout the last 75 years. Feudal First Worlders dominate the serfs of the Third World. Today, First Worlders decry the neo-feudalism of the techno-billionaires, without irony and without recognizing that they continue to apply it to the Third World, most notably India, which has been kept out of the NPT, MTCR, and so forth.And have you noticed that the very term ‘Third World’ has fallen out of favor, to be replaced by the anodyne but meaningless ‘Global South’? This is because the creators of narratives didn’t want to attract unwarranted attention to their straightforward caste system. In this context, let us recall that ‘caste’ itself is a European construct, derived from the Spanish ‘casta’, and applied most intensely to mixed-race people in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies, classifying them based on skin color and thus race. They obfuscate this by conflating it with the Hindu jati system. That is blood libel along the lines of them deeming the Christian Hakencreuz to be the Dharmic Svastika. Thanks for reading Shadow Warrior! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Of course, the other side of the picture is that the Chinese have crashed this party, and have pretty much jumped into the First World from the Third World. And they are mounting an intense challenge to the so-called ‘rules-based order’, partly by buying up opinion makers, and quite possibly by interfering in US elections in discreet ways: see recent revelations about the theft of US consumer data by Tiktok. This ‘order’ is clearly being challenged by China; but the Ukraine war is also showing how tattered it is, especially as the ‘First World’ struggles to contain nasty inflation and to delink its supply chains from China’s vice-like grip. Ominously, there is increasing political turmoil all over the ‘First World’.In the US, Biden and company are flailing about trying to find a theme that would cover up consumer anger over food and fuel price inflation, shortages (eg baby food and tampons), and rising law and order problems. Paul Krugman even tried to explain that inflation is an (optical) illusion. They have tried, successively, abortion rights, gun control, and now they are falling back on the tried and tested January 6th outrage. None of this is raising Biden’s abysmal ratings going into November’s midterm elections. In Britain, Boris Johnson just barely survived a no-confidence motion; the polls forecasting by-election results are not encouraging to the ruling Tories; inflation is a burning issue, and should reach a crescendo in the winter months with sharp rises in fuel costs. And they have a bruising rail strike as well. In Australia, Scott Morrison was suddenly replaced by Anthony Albanese. To add insult to injury, they have decided to dump the British Queen as Head of State.In Canada, Justin Trudeau’s image took a beating when he showed a dictatorial streak and walked all over the Freedom of Expression of truckers who were mostly protesting over extra-strict covid regulations.In New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern came down from the delirious heights of being the Woke Queen when she was forced to abandon her imperious zero-covid policy; and now she’s boycotting the British Commonwealth, preferring instead to attend a NATO meeting as a guest.The Pacific states are also concerned about China’s security pact with the Solomon Islands.So much for the Five Eyes, the US’s closest allies. Things are not so hot with the second tier of allies, either. In France, Emmanuel Macron was re-elected as President, but voters have punished his party in elections, sharply curtailing his room for maneuver.In Israel, Naftali Bennett’s government has just fallen, and they will go for yet another general election, the 4th in 5 years. Binyamin Netanyahu may yet come back.In the EU in general, and Germany in particular, there is great uneasiness about the US fiat about cutting off Russian energy imports. The EU has bought the vast majority of Russian exports, while the US bullies mostly innocent bystander India which is a minor sinner. And of course Biden is reluctant to chide China over its purchases.All this leads me to believe that the already-moribund so-called ‘liberal rules-based international order’, a thinly-veiled vehicle for US-Western European neo-feudalism, is on its last legs. Francis Fukuyama spoke memorably of the ‘end of history’; in fact it is the ‘end of Atlanticism’ that we are seeing.The future, and indeed the present, is the Indo-Pacific century. India is right to not throw in its lot with the declining West, or the rampaging but shaky China. There is good reason to aspire to be a third pole in a multi-polar world. The end of European and American exceptionalism. The beginning of Indian exceptionalism. No more neo-feudalism, tech or otherwise. 1350 words, June 22, 2022 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com

Được biết đến bởi tiềm năng du lịch chứ không phải là khu vực giàu tài nguyên thiên nhiên, các đảo quốc Nam Thái Bình Dương lại trở thành đấu trường mới nhất cho cuộc tranh đua quyền lực giữa Trung Quốc và Úc cùng các đồng minh. Đặc biệt, trong tuần qua, sự cạnh tranh trở thành tâm điểm chú ý khi một đề xuất thỏa thuận hợp tác thương mại và an ninh sâu rộng của Trung Quốc với 10 đảo quốc bất thành (26/05/2022 - 04/06/2022). Trong khi, để đối đầu sát cánh với Bắc Kinh tại khu vực này, đảng Lao động - tân nội các của Úc cũng đồng thời truyền đi nguồn năng lượng mới, mạnh mẽ dành cho các quốc đảo. Để tìm hiểu vấn đề này, xin mời quý vị theo dõi cuộc phỏng vấn của RFI Tiếng Việt với Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang. ********* RFI: Thưa ông, thỏa thuận đầy tham vọng mà ngoại trưởng Trung Quốc Vương Nghị mang theo trong chuyến công du xuyên Thái Bình Dương đã bị đình hoãn khi một số quốc gia trong khu vực bày tỏ quan ngại vì nó có thể châm ngòi một cuộc Chiến tranh Lạnh mới giữa Trung Quốc và các nước dân chủ phương Tây. Cụ thể, thỏa thuận mà Bắc Kinh đang theo đuổi là gì và đang tiến triển như thế nào cho đến thời điểm hiện tại?  Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang: Có lẽ được khuyến khích bởi thành quả ký kết mật ước với Đảo quốc Solomon (19/04/2022), ngoại trưởng Trung Quốc Vương Nghị đã đến Suva, thủ đô Fiji ngày 28/05/2022 để thực hiện chuyến công du 8 ngày. Mục đích chính là gặp gỡ thảo luận mặt đối mặt hoặc qua mạng điện tử với ngoại trưởng 10 đảo quốc đã công nhận và có quan hệ ngoại giao với Bắc Kinh về một thỏa hiệp đa phương (Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Niue và Federated States of Micronesia). Đây cũng là một tham vọng rất lớn và đánh dấu một sự xoay chiều, vì Trung Quốc thường ưa chuộng thỏa hiệp song phương (chẳng hạn như trong vấn đề Biển Đông). Đầy tự tin, ông Vương Nghị nghĩ rằng có thể thuyết phục được 10 đối tác ký kết thỏa hiệp hợp tác và an ninh. Nếu thành công, thỏa hiệp này sẽ tạo cơ hội cho Trung Quốc bành trướng ảnh hưởng sâu rộng trong vùng, nơi được coi có tầm quan trọng chiến lược cho Úc, New Zealand và Hoa Kỳ. Dự thảo Thỏa Hiệp được giữ bí mật và chúng ta chỉ biết một phần nội dung qua bản thảo của Thông cáo chung được chuẩn bị sẵn và bị rò rỉ. Tài liệu này cho thấy, Bắc Kinh muốn thay đổi nguyên trạng tại Nam Thái Bình Dương để mở rộng hợp tác xuyên suốt các đảo quốc với Bắc Kinh trong nhiều lĩnh vực, bao gồm: an ninh cảnh sát, an ninh mạng, ngư nghiệp và phát triển kinh tế. Thế nhưng, ngay trong ngày họp đầu tiên 30/05/2022, các đại diện không có lập trường thuần nhất. Theo đó, một số ủng hộ cuộc thảo luận và một số khác tỏ ra hoài nghi. Vì, thỏa hiệp này có thể đặt các đảo quốc vào cuộc tranh chấp giữa Trung Quốc và các quốc gia phương Tây. Tổng thống Liên bang Micronesia mô tả, đây có thể là nguy cơ một cuộc chiến tranh lạnh mới. Trong khi, các đảo quốc chỉ cần đối tác thật sự chứ không cần đại cường tranh nhau quyền lực. Mặc dù thất bại, nhưng trong chuyến công du này, ông Vương Nghị cũng đạt được một thỏa hiệp song phương mới với đảo quốc Samoa. Bắc Kinh tạm thời rút lại đề nghị để nguyên cứu thêm, nhưng Trung Quốc có lẽ sẽ không từ bỏ mục đích dài hạn và có thể bắt đầu lại với việc gây áp lực trên từng đảo quốc. RFI: Thoạt nhìn, các quốc đảo trải dài trên Nam Thái Bình Dương không phải là một giải pháp địa chính trị quan trọng. Tuy nhiên, trong thời gian gần đây, Trung Quốc lại tích cực quan tâm và ra sức hỗ trợ các quốc gia này. Theo ông, hành động của Bắc Kinh xuất phát từ những nguyên nhân nào? Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang: Trung Quốc có tầm nhìn chiến lược dài hạn. Ít nhất trong 3 thập niên qua, Bắc Kinh đã năng động xâm nhập và tạo ảnh hưởng tại vùng Nam Thái Bình Dương với 3 mục tiêu rõ rệt.  Thứ nhất, Trung Quốc muốn cô lập Đài Loan. Từ sau năm 1972, khi Trung hoa Dân quốc mất tư cách thành viên Liên Hiệp Quốc, Đài Loan theo đuổi chính sách “hướng về Phương Nam” để duy trì quan hệ với các đảo quốc Nam Thái Bình Dương. Bắc Kinh đã thành công với mục tiêu này. Trong số 14 đảo quốc, nay chỉ còn 4 quốc gia công nhận và duy trì quan hệ với Đài Loan (Tuvalu, Palau, The Marshall Islands và Nauru). Năm 2019, Solomon Islands và Kiribati bỏ rơi Đài Bắc và công nhận Bắc Kinh. Thứ hai, Bắc Kinh muốn giữ quân bình về mặt chiến lược với Mỹ tại Nam Thái Bình Dương. Sự quan trọng của vùng này đã thể hiện rõ rệt trong Thế chiến Thứ hai giữa hải quân Mỹ-Úc và Nhật Bản. Vùng này không còn được Mỹ quan tâm đúng mức và Mỹ đóng cửa đại sứ quán tại Solomon Islands trong thập niên 1990. Gần đây, Mỹ loan báo tái lập đại sứ quán này khi Solomon Islands ký kết thỏa hiệp an ninh với Trung Quốc. Cuối cùng, Trung Quốc muốn làm suy yếu ảnh hưởng của Úc và New Zealand. Đây là hai cường quốc kinh tế trong vùng nhưng họ đã không tích cực bảo vệ thế đứng cho đến khi đã quá trễ. Úc tăng cường quan hệ với các đảo quốc Nam Thái Bình Dương năm 2017 dưới chính sách “Step-Up” và New Zealand dưới chính sách “Reset”. Nhưng cả hai đều không ngăn cản được mật ước an ninh giữa Trung Quốc và Solomon Islands. RFI: Đề xuất bị gác lại, tuy nhiên, Bắc Kinh cho biết, Trung Quốc vẫn tự tin có thể đạt được thỏa thuận với 10 đảo quốc Nam Thái Bình Dương. Ông Tập Cận Bình dựa trên cơ sở nào để có thể thực hiện được tham vọng này, thưa ông? Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang: Với tư cách là đại cường đang lên,Trung Quốc muốn phá vỡ tình trạng mà Bắc Kinh coi như vòng vây của Mỹ và đồng minh. Thiết lập căn cứ hải quân bên ngoài nằm trong tầm nhìn này tại Djibouti, tại Ream của Campuchia và tại Solomon Islands cho dù rằng Bắc Kinh phủ nhận 2 địa điểm sau.  Cá nhân ông Tập Cận Bình cũng cần chứng tỏ, ông thành công với chiến lược này trước hoặc sau Đại hội Đảng Cộng Sản Trung Quốc lần thứ 20 dự trù vào cuối năm nay, 2022 và 5 năm sắp tới trong nhiệm kỳ Tổng Bí Thư lần thứ 3. Nhu cầu nhà nước và nhu cầu cá nhân sẽ thúc đẩy ông Tập Cận Bình vận dụng phương tiện tài chính và ngoại giao, chẳng hạn như “Sáng Kiến Vành đai và Con đường (BRI)”, để đạt được mục tiêu chiến lược.  Bắc Kinh có thể chi tiêu chính thức và không chính thức tại Nam Thái Bình Dương – một việc mà các quốc gia dân chủ phương Tây không thể làm. Cho đến nay, Hoa Kỳ chỉ mới phát động Khung hợp tác Kinh tế (President Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework) để đối trọng sức mạnh của Trung Quốc trong lĩnh vực này, qua các Thỏa hiệp CPTPP (TPP-11) mà Mỹ đã rời khỏi dưới thời tổng thống Donald Trump mà nay Trung Quốc đang xin gia nhập, và RCEP do Trung Quốc chủ động và Mỹ chưa bao giờ là thành viên. Mỹ đã mời nhiều quốc gia Đông Nam Á, Bắc Á, Úc và New Zealand tham dự và Fiji,  quốc gia Nam Thái Bình Dương duy nhất được mời. RFI: Các đảo quốc Nam Thái Bình Dương được coi là “đại gia đình” và là “sân sau” của Úc. Trong những tuần qua, một nguồn năng lượng mới len lỏi mạnh mẽ vào chính sách Thái Bình Dương khi đảng Lao động Úc thiết lập nội các. Cụ thể, chính phủ mới của ông Albanese có những phản ứng và hành động như thế nào để đối đầu với Trung Quốc trong khu vực? Cách tiếp cận khu vực này của tân thủ tướng có gì khác biệt so với cựu thủ tướng Morrison dưới thời Liên Đảng Tự Do - Quốc gia, thưa ông? Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang: Trong tầm nhìn của đảng Lao Động Úc, khi ở thế đối lập, đặc biệt trong cuộc vận động tranh cử vừa qua, chính sách Nam Thái Bình Dương của chính phủ Liên Đảng-Tự Do Quốc Gia đã bị coi là thất bại. Cụ thể, cựu thủ tướng Scott Morrison đã không thể ngăn cản việc thủ tướng Sogavare ký kết mật ước an ninh giữa Solomon Islands và Trung Quốc. Trong khi, mặc dù New Zealand và Hoa Kỳ cũng có vận động tương tự nhưng đã không thành công. Sau khi thắng cử ngày 21/05/2022, chính phủ Lao Động Albanese thực hiện lời cam kết theo đuổi một chính sách năng động hơn và tăng ngân sách dành cho các đảo quốc Nam Thái Bình Dương mà Úc vẫn thường gọi là đại gia đình “Pacific Family”, từ 1,4 tỷ lên gần 2 tỉ Úc kim.  Ngay tuần lễ đầu tiên sau khi nhậm chức ngày 23/05/2022, tân ngoại trưởng Penny Wong bay đến Fiji để hội kiến với nhiều lãnh đạo đảo quốc lần đầu tiên. Và, bà Penny Wong trở lại Nam Thái Bình Dương lần hai ngay trong thời gian Ngoại trưởng Vương Nghị đang có mặt tại đây.  Trong các cuộc hội kiến mặt đối mặt, ngoại trưởng Penny Wong nhấn mạnh sự khác biệt của chính phủ Lao Động mới tại Úc về chính sách biến đổi khí hậu, vốn là mối quan tâm sâu xa của các đảo quốc. Chính phủ Albanese cam kết giảm 43% khí thải CO2 của năm 2005 vào năm 2030 để đạt mức net zero vào năm 2050. Nhiều chính phủ Đảo quốc đã thất vọng với cựu thủ tướng Morrison khi ông từ chối cam kết cụ thể vào năm 2030 tại Hội nghị Biến đổi Khí hậu COP 26 ở Glasgow, năm 2021.  Cũng trong chuyến công du lần thứ hai, ngoại trưởng Penny Wong thăm viếng Samoa và Solomon Islands, theo sát gót chân ông Vương Nghị. Tại Samoa, bà Penny Wong đạt thỏa hiệp hợp tác 8 năm để Úc huấn luyện tài nguyên nhân lực cho Đảo quốc này. Đồng thời, viện trợ ngay một chiến hạm tuần duyên để Samoa cải thiện khả năng bảo vệ tài nguyên thiên nhiên. Tại Solomon Islands, ngoại trưởng Penny Wong hội kiến song phương với thủ tướng Sagavare. Ông Sagavare một lần nữa cam kết, Solomon sẽ không có căn cứ hải quân của Trung Quốc. Đây cũng là xác quyết mà thủ tướng Sagavare đã chuyển đến cựu thủ tướng Úc Scott Morrison trong thời gian Úc có vận động tranh cử. Ngoài việc tăng ngân sách viện trợ và chính sách Biến đổi Khí hậu, Chính phủ Albanese theo đuổi chính sách của chính phủ tiền nhiệm tại Nam Thái Bình Dương cũng như chính sách đối ngoại nói chung, kể cả chính sách đối với Trung Quốc. RFI: Nếu nhìn một cách tổng thể, ông đánh giá thế nào về chính sách đối ngoại với Trung Quốc của Đảng Lao động - tân nội các Úc? Điều này có ý nghĩa ra sao đối với các vấn đề tại Thái Bình Dương, đặc biệt là khu vực phía Nam và vùng Biển Đông? Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang: Nói chung, đối ngoại là lĩnh vực mà chính phủ và đảng đối lập tại Úc thường chia sẻ. Khác biệt, nếu có, là về mặt ngôn ngữ hơn là vấn đề nội dung. Đối với Trung Quốc, sau hơn 2 năm bế tắc về ngoại giao và giao thương, phó thủ tướng kiêm bộ trưởng Quốc Phòng Richard Marles đã có cơ hội hội kiến song phương với bộ trưởng Quốc Phòng Trung Quốc Ngụy Phượng Hòa tại Singapore, bên lề Đối thoại Chiến lược Shangri-La (06/2022). Tuy nhiên, cả hai đều cho rằng, đây chỉ là bước đầu và con đường bình thường hoá bang giao vẫn còn dài.  Về Biển Đông, chính sách của chính phủ Lao Động cũng sẽ không có gì khác biệt với chính phủ Úc tiền nhiệm và chính sách của Mỹ. Theo tôi, Nam Thái Bình Dương là một chính sách riêng biệt của Trung Quốc và sẽ ít khi bị ảnh hưởng bởi chính sách tại các khu vực khác. RFI Tiếng Việt cảm ơn Luật sư - Nhà báo Lưu Tường Quang.

Ol stori long program: Bikpla belsore ikamap long PNG bihaenim dai blong late Sir Peter Barter, PNG gavman K200M igo long PNG Electoral Commission, meri rangers long Solomon Islands i helpim long savim leatherback turtle na; wanpla yangpla meri Solomon Islands i skul long marine studies long Fiji.

United States officials described the signing of a security pact between China and Solomon Islands as "very troubling" in internal emails, a freedom of information (FOI) request has revealed.

Foreign minister Penny Wong visits the Solomon Islands to hold talks with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare while the US discusses their special military relationship with the Marshall Islands.

Pacific Islanders living overseas prepare to return home to see family members as Solomon Islands and Vanuatu prepare to reopen borders for the first time in more than two years.

As French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance loses majority in parliament, French Polynesian candidates who support secession from France have made strong gains. And Pacific experiences are at the forefront of a global meeting to discuss prohibiting nuclear weapons.

Australian Foren minista Penny Wong ibin raon long Solomon Islands, PNG Electoral Commission itok emi mekim olgeta wok pinis blong redi-im 2022 National general ileksan.

Calls for foreign powers to shift attention to communities in Solomon Islands and Samoans are seeking out mental health services despite the stigma surrounding it.

Solomon Islands doctor looks ahead to what emergency care will look like if the climate crisis worsens.

There are calls for foreign powers to shift their attention to families and communities in Solomon Islands and address their needs, amid recent high-level meetings with Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Solomon Islands Prime minister Mannasseh Sogavare.

Ol stori long program: Australia Federal Police i givim moa help long PNG long lukaitim general elections, lida blong PNG Social Democratic Pati, Powes Parkop igat confident bai tupla meri oli endorsim bai nap win long ileksen, wanpla raiting kompetisen blong helpim ol yangpla pipol long raitim ol tingting blong ol long sait long PNG ileksen na; Solomon Islands weightlifters bai yusim Northern Mariana Mini Games blong redi long 2023 Pacific Games long Honiara.

Australia's new foreign minister has told her New Zealand counterpart the country has a "unique and powerful voice" in the Pacific sphere.Penny Wong and Nanaia Mahuta met at Parliament for the first time in their respective roles.Wong's visit comes amid a whirlwind start to the job, having now visited five countries across the Pacific in just over three weeks. She will travel to the Solomon Islands tomorrow.It comes amid rising tensions in the Pacific that stem back to March when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, sparking concerns it could lead to a military base in the Pacific.Then China sought a wide-reaching agreement with 10 nations and its foreign minister Wang Yi embarked on a regional tour.Thomas Coughlan: NZ Herald Senior Political Reporter joined Heather du Plessis-Allan.LISTEN ABOVE

Foreign Minister Penny Wong set to travel to Solomon Islands to discuss climate change and regional security in what will be her third visit to the Pacific since being sworn in last month.

A visit to the Solomon's by Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Friday will help repair relations between the two countries says Dr Tarcisius Kabutaulaka.

Ol stori long program: Polis long Enga istap redi pinis long meksua PNG nesenal jeneral ileksen long provins i seif, PNG National Capital District gavana iautim wari long ol salens blong Electoral Commission, Boroko Polis Station long Port Moresby, long moni halivim blong two million kina, Bougainville i makim day blong autonomous region blong ol tede na; ol soka program blong Solomon Islands istat back gen.

Xi expands China's military powers to defend interests abroad The Sydney Morning Herald Chinese President Xi Jinping has authorised an expansion of his country's military capabilities, giving the defence forces the power to protect its interests abroad. The development is in line with Beijing's ambitions in the Pacific, where it recently acquired the power to defend its investments in Solomon Islands by force through a security deal with Honiara. I believe the Chinese Communist Party is willing to engage in a military conflict in order to prove their military dominance. This is just my opinion. J Fallon Apple Music J Fallon Spotify J Fallon YouTube The Slippery Slope Apple Podcasts The Slippery Slope YouTube The Slippery Slope Stitcher --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/jason-fallon/message

China's bid to set up a security pact with Pacific island countries should be considered by a regional forum, the leaders of Samoa and New Zealand said, weeks after the Solomon Islands sparked uproar by signing a deal with China.

Ol stori long program: Ol pipol blong Temotu long Solomon Islands yusim konsevesan wantaim ol fisaries risos blong ol, pipol blong Central provins long PNG hamamas long gavana blong ol, igat salens yet long ol meri long PNG ileksen na ol politikal pati toktok long polisi blong ol long PNG.

Imperial Japanese Navy pilots were an elite corps.  They lead the world in developing naval aviation between the First and Second World Wars.  Although their equipment was modern and tactics were cutting edge, their values and collective identity were based in something much older.  They were the modern incarnation of Japan's ancient warrior caste, the Samurai, and adhered to the warrior code of bushido.  Saburo Sakai was one of them.  He fought throughout the war, became a leading ace, and was one of the very few who survived to write his story.

Ol stori long program: Narapla Palaman memba long PNG idai, gavana blong PNG East Sepik provins i wari tru na i sore long ol bikpla fait na trabal long provins, Solomon Islands turisam industri i hamamas long International border bai op gen long mun bihaen na; ol environment activis long Vanuatu i hamamas gavman i kamapim climate imagensi loa.

Comedy alert! Each season we have a little get together episode with Don Silcock, senior travel editor for Scuba Diver magazine and Lissa Rebec of Sea Shepherd.  However, now that borders are open, trying to get Lissa and Don in Sydney and available at the same time is virtually impossible!With that said, we managed to coax Don into the studio by waving a beer under his nose and as a bonus for the show his dive buddy of 20 years came along too... During this episode, we explore a number of topics, including Jayne's diving, international travel lounges that I didn't even know existed, Don's movements and writings, beer, wide-angle camera equipment preferences and diver training.  A little teaser of what may be occurring with the expansion of Scuba GOAT and the upcoming relaunch of Nomadic Scuba, all served up with a large dollop of hilarity, giggles and maybe the odd cuss word (you've been warned). The sensible text and a REAL intro to Jayne JenkinsJayne learnt to dive in the chilly waters along the rugged Welsh coastline before moving to Australia in 1973. She is actively involved in many facets of the diving industry and has been for over four decades and was previously a volunteer diver with the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service in Sydney.  This led to Jayne working as a safety diver and researcher for various underwater film, television and photographic expeditions focusing on diving in the Pacific, including the cave diving spectacular Sanctum. Having been an active underwater photography instructor for many years, Jayne went on to establish the first digital shoot-out competition at Lord Howe Island and has won many awards for her photography and remains a regular editorial contributor to Dive Log and Ocean Geographic. For the past 18 years, Jayne has devoted time as Vice President of Australasia for the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society (OWUSS) - a scholarship sponsored by Rolex for young underwater enthusiasts. Jayne has been an invaluable mentor to a lucky 13 scholars and has played a significant part in their lives but has now passed it on to one of the younger generation and one of the past scholars. Jayne is currently the resident photographer /consultant with The Ocean Agency formally the Catlin Seaview Survey a fast game-changing creative scientific project. Using specially designed technology, the Catlin Seaview Survey recorded and revealed the world's oceans and reefs like never before, in high-resolution, 360-degree panoramic vision. This led to being part of the brilliant documentary Chasing Coral. Jayne was also a safety diver/camera assistant for a documentary filmed in what she calls “her back yard” Chowder Bay, for the BBC National History unit about seahorses called Fierce Queens.Over her years working in travel and being a keen traveller, Jayne has visited places such as - South Africa, Socorro, Cuba, Indonesia, Philippines, New Zealand, Maldives, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, Antarctica, Arctic and many more including Australia.Jayne is also a member of the prestigious Woman Divers Hall of Fame and a Fellow International of The Explorers Club.  Jayne on FacebookDon on FacebookMatt on Insta

Kennedys In Love by Beatrice Fairbanks CayzerAmbassador Joseph Kennedy lost three of his favorite children to violent death due to his fanatical ambitions. Joseph Junior, in love with the former Lady Jersey, Pat Wilson, died in a bomb-laden aircraft that exploded in World War II; Kathleen, perished during a storm that tore apart the plane carrying her wih a titled lover to Canner; John F. Kennedy, deeply in love with Ingrid Arvad, was transferred due to pushy father from his safe desk job in Washington to Solomon Islands was assassinated while preparing for his Second Term as President. In this tasty novel, Kick wins undying love from American, Mark Esterhazy. Not until fourteen years after her accident does Mark fall in love with Kick's double, Rosie O'Hara, who is perilously investigating names of instigators of JFK's assassination. Thereby causing Rosie and Mark to become targets for those same assassins.Beatrice Fairbanks Cayzer comes from an illustrious family. Her two ancestors who came to Upper Virginia on the Mayflower in 1620 helped found their community. Beatrice founded the Cayzer Museum for Children in England where she was the wife of Stanley Cayzer a grandson of Sir Charles Cayzer founder of shipping companies that evolved into Caledonia Investments, and nephew of Admiral Lord Jellicoe, the second Governor General of New Zealand. Then she turned to writing novels. In Oxfordshire, she wrote The Princes and the Princesses of Wales. In Guernsey, she wrote The Royal World of Animals. Returning to the USA, she wrote nine Rick Harrow novels, winning Book of the Year Award from the Horseracing Writers' Association. In 2016, she had a sell out with The Secret Diary of Mrs. John Quincy Adams and in 2018 had another sell out with New Tales of Palm Beach.https://www.amazon.com/Kennedys-Love-Beatrice-Fairbanks-Cayzer/dp/1643985981/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1580758742&sr=8-1https://beatricecayzer.comhttp://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/bcayzerurl.com 

Pacific countries often say they do not want to be drawn into geopolitics. All have adopted a “friends to all and enemies to none” foreign policy. However, the proposed security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands shows that geopolitics is well and truly thriving. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has said the Solomon Islands, a nation of about 700,000 people, was not taking sides. But the agreement has an immediate effect on every country in the region and it is very much connected, at least on the Chinese side, to geostrategic ambitions. In Australia, security analysts watched the story unfold with a mixture of dread because of the potential blow to Canberra's strategic interests, and vindication that years of assessments about China's military intent in the Pacific had seemingly been confirmed overnight. In the political arena, accusations came thick and fast that the federal government had “dropped the ball” in the Pacific and that diplomacy in the region had failed. This week's guest Mihai Sora joins us to discuss China's expending presence in the pacific and what effect it has on Australia. From trade, to new security measures and aid given to the Solomon Islands. Mihai Sora is a Research Fellow in the Pacific Islands Program and Project Director of the Aus-PNG Network. Mihai has more than a decade's experience as an Australian diplomat with postings to Solomon Islands and Indonesia, and was a Pacific Analyst at the Office of National Assessments.

The winter series of The 9pm Edict kicks off with special guest Yun Jiang, the inaugural China Matters Fellow at the Australian Institute of International Affairs. And guess what? We're discussing China and Australia. In this episode we talk about the massive COVID-19 lockdown in Shanghai, the possibility of a Chinese naval base in Solomon Islands, recent diplomatic moves of both Australia and China in the South Pacific, China's interception of an RAAF maritime patrol aircraft, 996 and the Lying Flat movement, diversity in parliament, climate change, and what Australia's new Albanese government means for our relations with China and for the public service.Full podcast details and credits at:https://the9pmedict.com/edict/00174/Please consider supporting this podcast at:https://the9pmedict.com/tip/https://skank.com.au/subscribe/

Fonseca talks Chris Bartlet actor who plays the Droids from Star Wars franchises, Winnie The Pooh Horror Movie Coming Soon: The NY Post says a twisted take on Winnie the Pooh is in the works. "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" is an upcoming horror film that features terrifying versions of Pooh, Piglet, and the rest of the beloved children's characters. The famous yellow bear will go on a rampage after Christopher Robin leaves him behind to get a college education. Director Waterfield tells Variety magazine, "No one is going to mistake this for Disney. When you see the cover for this and you see the trailers and the stills and all that, there's no way anyone is going to think this is a child's version of it." There is currently no release date for the movie Scientists Grow Human Cells On Robot Skeleton: The Verge says University of Oxford researchers have begun growing human cells on a robot skeleton. They are unsure how the technology will be used, but believe it could have applications in experimental medical treatments. The scientists hypothesize that using robotic skeletons will help the cells move and flex in a manner similar to human tendons and muscles. They hope their research leads to creating fully accurate replicas of human bodies. The Daily Mail says people are flocking to a Brazilian farm to see a giant rock that resembles E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Miguel Barretto discovered the rock after a fire on his farm. The boulder is 20 feet high and has cracks that make it look like E.T.'s face WGN-TV says Best Buy is recalling 93,000 hoverboards because they may malfunction and injure the rider. The Hover-1 Superfly Hoverboards have a software glitch that doesn't stop the motor and causes riders to continue their momentum when they are no longer in control of the board Morgan Freeman On Russia's "No Fly List": LAD Bible says Morgan Freeman has been placed on Russia's no-fly list. The actor is banned from traveling to Russia because he appeared in a 2017 video for an organization called the 'Committee to Investigate Russia'. Russia also placed John McCain on the list even though he is dead Sharkcano: NASA says a 'Sharkcano' may occur in the Solomon Islands. The Daily Mail says the space agency has seen plumes of discolored water coming from the Kavachi Volcano where mutant sharks live in an underwater crater. The sharks swim in hot, acidic water. Should the volcano fully explode, the mutant sharks would most likely end up in the ocean.

Commentary In late May, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a virtual summit with the leaders of several Pacific Island republics to entice them into joining a Beijing-led mutual security and economic agreement. It did not end well. During the summit, Beijing proposed that the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, […]

The purpose of this session is to obtain an overview of the key elements of the new Christian Global Health in Perspective course designed to prepare both those trained in the medical professions and others about the biblical, historical, cultural and strategic aspects of evidence-based global health service. Wholeness from the perspective of shalom will form a sustainable framework upon which one can build effective transformational service among the nations, because health concerns everyone.

A version of this essay was published by Swarajya magazine at https://swarajyamag.com/world/the-quad-will-china-dominate-the-indo-pacific-as-the-us-reverts-to-atlanticism-what-can-india-doA lot has happened in the last week or two: POTUS Biden’s visit to Japan for a Quad summit and related economic moves; China’s outreach to Pacific Islanders for security pacts; and the World Economic Forum pow-wow in Davos. In some sense, the Ukraine war and related disruptions have taken a back seat, even though related inflation and shortages are a long-term story. In my opinion, the Biden Administration is pursuing self-defeating policies as far as the Indo-Pacific is concerned. On the one hand, it may be because (as is the norm in India) one political party wants to undo whatever their rival had done when they were in power. On the other hand, there is a curious lack of historical memory about great-power games: the US seems to be either blase about, or reconciled to, Chinese domination of Asia/the Indo-Pacific. None of this is good as far as India is concerned. In a harsh analysis of India’s clashes on the Kashmir/Tibet border with China, two anonymous but trenchant critics suggest India has been defeated already: “China-India Border Crisis Has Quietly Resulted in Victory For Beijing’, based on the fact that the Chinese military buildup is well-nigh impossible for India to overcome.Thanks for reading Shadow Warrior! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Meanwhile, there is increasing criticism of American involvement in – indeed responsibility for – prolonging the Ukraine war, surprisingly from the pro-Democrat, pro-war pages of the New York Times: “The War in Ukraine May Be Impossible to Stop. And the US Deserves Most of the Blame.” A slightly dated (April 1) article on “The Military Situation in Ukraine” had already given a cogent explanation of how reality on the ground was vastly different from the narrative.What I fear is that Ukraine will become a quagmire for not only Russia, but also the US. As the NYT op-ed said, it’s not much of a leap from a proxy war to a secret war. The US is rather good at getting into unfortunate messes like this, and then having to declare victory and run like hell: see Vietnam or Afghanistan. Two brutal articles from Tablet magazine, “Three Big Questions That the American Establishment Got Wrong” and “Wingnuts vs. Factions: The two theories of American government—one fantasy, one reality” purport to show how making bad, often really bad, decisions is par for the course for US administrations, in particular Democrats. All this presages the possibility that Ukraine will be a tar baby for the US and its NATO allies, and a drain on their national treasuries. It also means that their national attention will be riveted on Russia and Ukraine for the foreseeable future, leaving China free to run rampant in Asia. Democratic Party power brokers are anyway Atlanticists fighting the Cold War all over again. Let us, therefore, consider the Indo-Pacific from a perspective where the US is increasingly hors de combat. There is this theory of the “three island chains” in the Pacific as first propounded by American John Foster Dulles, according to CSIS.org, which further states that today we have to add two more island chains in the Indian Ocean. John Foster Dulles is attributed with designating the islands stretching from the Kurils, the Japanese home islands, and the Ryukyus to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Indonesia as the “first island chain” in the 1950s. The second chain stretches from Japan through the Marianas and Micronesia, and the third is centered on Hawaii...The addition of a fourth and fifth chain in the Indian Ocean would better describe emerging Chinese maritime strategy. Chinese naval planners hope to deny adversaries the ability to operate within the first island chain during a conflict, contest control of the second island chain, and operate as a blue water navy within the third island chain. A new fourth island chain through the middle of the Indian Ocean would reflect China’s ability to challenge its geostrategic neighbor India with dual-use facilities in Gwadar, Pakistan, and Hambantota, Sri Lanka. A fifth island Chain, originating from China’s base at Doraleh, Djibouti, would reflect Beijing’s ability to pursue its developing commitments afar, such as harnessing economic resources, conducting anti-piracy operations, and protecting Chinese living abroad. [emphasis added]This is alarming, as the ‘fourth island chain’ is basically the ‘String of Pearls’ intended to strangle India and tie it down in the so-called ‘South Asia’, by negating its undoubted geographic advantage of straddling the sea lanes in the Indian Ocean. The Chinese submarine pen at Hainan in the South China Sea, with easy access to the Indian Ocean via the Straits of Malacca, is already a threat to Indian interests and blue-water navy aspirations. In addition, China is currently in the middle of a furious ship-building frenzy, so they will also have surface ships, including aircraft carriers, capable of projecting force a long way into the Indian Ocean. Just as they have done in the Himalayas, and the South China Sea, China is using ‘below-the-threshold of war’ tactics to build up its capability until one day its foes are forced to submit. Degringolade.POTUS Biden has made it clear that his administration has very little interest in Asia. He made three trips to Europe before his very first trip to Asia: a quick visit to Japan (and South Korea), where he attended a meeting of the Quad and a coming-out party for the newest American-mooted economic proposal, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. This seems to be too little, too late, after the US exited the Trans-Pacific Partnership.The IPEF also seems like a face-saving measure, and it is increasingly evident that Biden’s alleged new enthusiasm for Asia is as empty as earlier POTUS Obama’s botched ‘pivot to Asia’, which was a lot of hot air with no substance. I also remember with fury Obama’s granting of hegemony over ‘South Asia’ to China: like the Pope once divided the world between Portugal and Spain. As though Obama were dispensing papal bulls. As Indian geostrategist Brahma Chellaney suggests on Nikkei Asia in “Biden’s empty Taiwan rhetoric reveals Quad’s core weakness”, Biden’s statement about US military support for Taiwan in case of a Chinese invasion may be mere bravado. There are two reasons. The first is that, as Biden’s minions clarified after his alleged gaffe, US military involvement is not within the scope of US agreements with Taiwan and/or China, which maintain the fiction of “One China”. The second is that, given its diminished industrial capacity (China has hollowed it out), the US cannot fight two major wars at once: Ukraine and Taiwan. To emphasize their disdain for the alleged ‘pivot’, the Chinese sent strategic nuclear bombers towards Japan while Biden was there, accompanied by Russian bombers. As I write this, China has just sent 30 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense zone. The signals are clear: they threaten to invade Taiwan. Thank you for reading Shadow Warrior. This post is public so feel free to share it.In the meantime, China is attempting to expand its footprint in the Indo-Pacific. It scored a coup with the Solomon Islands where it signed a wide-ranging agreement. According to a podcast from The Economist, a leaked draft shows that the agreement allows Chinese police and soldiers to be deployed in the Solomons for a broad range of reasons. It stops short of setting up a military base, but only just.Beyond this, Chinese FM Wang Yi had a blitzkrieg in the Pacific, visiting 8 island nations over 10 days, and on May 30th, he signed agreements in Fiji with a consortium of 10 of them. A draft talked about trade, tourism, security, training of police, forensic labs, and cyber-security, according to The Economist podcast Base Motives? China in the Pacific.The entire Belt and Road Initiative was a covert effort to gain access to ports, and turn them into Chinese military bases (although it has stalled a little now because of its predatory debt-trap diplomacy side-effects, as best seen in Sri Lanka). Beyond Djibouti in 2017, Gwadar and Hambantota, there are others like Cambodia’s Ream military base where China has facilities.China is also quite likely causing the sharp spike in global food prices. Economist Shamika Ravi tweeted as follows, and this is a good reason why India did a U-turn on wheat exports: instead of enabling Chinese proxies to buy it up, India will only do government to government deals. Thus the picture is of a diffident America shuffling off into Atlanticist and Anglosphere dead-ends like AUKUS (Britain brings almost nothing to the picture in the Indo-Pacific), while a more confident China is expanding its reach. Its saber rattling threatens Taiwan immediately, and India, Japan and South Korea more indirectly. The context of the Quad is also a far cry from what Abe Shinzo first envisaged as a tight military and economic alliance. It is pretty much a mere talking-shop. For instance, it is clear that none of Australia, Japan, or the US will send a single soldier to fight China on India’s behalf on the Kashmir/Tibet border. The creation of AUKUS (there are rumors about JAUKUS with Japan and CAUKUS with Canada as well) basically means India is being left out in the cold. Again. It has to depend on itself. Atmnirbharata. There is talk of a Quad-Plus, including South Korea and New Zealand. But not Vietnam and Indonesia, which are more significant? New Zealand, especially under woke Jacinda Ardern, is marginal; in fact Australia is also of little interest in the Indian Ocean. There is also political instability in Australia: Scott Morrison was replaced by Anthony Albanese overnight.I can remember at least five-six Australian PMs in the recent past, including die-hard Sinophile Kevin Rudd. How can you have continuity in such a situation? How can anybody depend on Australia to deliver on Quad? Similarly, Japanese PM Kishida Fumio is a far cry from the sensibly militaristic and nationalist Abe Shinzo. In the US, the switch from Donald Trump to Joe Biden has meant chaos regarding the Indo-Pacific. And after this November’s elections, it is likely that Biden will be a lame duck: his approval numbers keep hitting new lows, and hostile Republicans are likely to take over the Senate, leading to a war of attrition: bad news for foreign policy.In the middle of all this political turmoil, it is hard to imagine that the Quad is going to get better.Meanwhile, the developed nations of the West are merrily carrying on with their old agenda as in the Davos shindig, as though there is no end in sight for the party. Rana Foroohar of the Financial Times sounded a warning, as if one were necessary in the wake of the carnage of stock market crashes and soaring inflation. But no, laissez les bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll!And that’s exactly what India is up against. The rest of the world (with the possible exception of Japan) does not care. India has to assume it can only depend on itself, Quad or no Quad. It has to build up its military and economic muscle, and industrialize while keeping a low profile. The Thucydides Trap is a likely scenario, and presumably it will exhaust both the protagonists, leaving the door open for India to ascend to the G3 and then to the G1.1850 words, June 1, 2022 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com

China's foreign minister Wang Yi this week held a meeting with 10 Pacific nations aiming to reach agreement on a region-wide trade and security pact. Consensus wasn't reached but bilateral deals – like the one China's already signed with Solomon Islands – are under discussion. The United States and regional allies, led by Australia, see the idea of greater security cooperation between China and Pacific island countries as a threat to Western security. Beijing says it's offering help in the areas of policing, infrastructure, trade and resilience from disaster. Fiji's Prime Minister, who's one of those who hosted Mr Wang this week, called on China to increase its efforts to tackle climate change, an existential threat to many of the nations meeting this week. So, what do Pacific states want from their partnerships with China and the West? And could the Pacific quickly become a new front line in growing tensions between East and West? Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of expert guests. Producers: Paul Schuster and Ellen Otzen.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta and the Chinese ambassador have offered differing accounts of a meeting and discussion of a Joint Statement with the United States that drew the wrath of Beijing.Mahuta and Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong met on Thursday. It was the first meeting for the pair since Xiaolong started the role in December.The meeting came amid a week of heightened geopolitical tension, with China Foreign Minister Wang Yi continuing an eight-stop tour of the Pacific originally intended to drum up support for a wide-ranging regional agreement.It also included Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's White House visit, after which she and US President Joe Biden issued a Joint Statement that noted New Zealand and the United States' close ties on matters of security and singled out China's recent inroads in the Pacific as concerning."We note with concern the security agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Solomon Islands," the declaration read."In particular, the United States and New Zealand share a concern that the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both our countries," it said.It also condemned Chinese activities in the South China Sea, human-rights violations in Xinjiang (home to the Uighur), and the "erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong".After that meeting, China's foreign affairs ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the statement was a "hype-up" and had "ulterior motives to create disinformation and attack and discredit China".Asked by media on Thursday if that NZ-US statement was talked about during her meeting with the Chinese Ambassador, Mahuta responded: "Oh a range of things were commented on but not in any particular detail."Asked directly if the statement was brought up, Mahuta said: "Not significantly actually, no."Asked to elaborate, Mahuta said the meeting was "short, it was a meet and greet meeting, it canvassed a range of issues in relation to the Pacific, the bilateral relationship, the fact that we are recognising 50 years of a relationship with China, that New Zealand had a number of firsts, a Free Trade Agreement, things like that".An official "read-out" of the meeting published on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website also made no mention of the statement being discussed by the two.However, on Friday morning, Xiaolong wrote a series of tweets about the meeting, directly referring to the statement."Reiterated China's position on the recent US-NZ Joint Statement, and more importantly, compared notes on how China and NZ could steer the bilateral relations in the right direction to the benefit of both sides," Xiaolong wrote."We also talked about how NZ and China could work together to support common development in Pacific island partners. We agreed that it is imperative to keep dialogues going at a time like this."Quoting a Pacific leader: China provided much-needed aid to us when no others were. As I elaborated to Minister Mahuta, China will continue to support Pacific island partners, by, among others, enhancing their endogenous capacity for growth."Xiaolang has been approached for comment.International relations expert Geoffrey Miller told the Herald the differing emphasis on that statement reflected the "growing geopolitical tension at the moment".Miller said New Zealand had previously tended to "hedge" in its international relations, not siding too closely with anyone.More recently, though, New Zealand had made strong moves towards the West, from its support for the Ukrainian effort against Russia, and now the Joint US Statement this week.Wang Yi, Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, meets Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Photo / Supplied"That statement was extraordinary. It felt very much like a US statement, and had a big laundry list of item...

The Government has sought to temper any trepidation over New Zealand's move to forge closer defence ties with the United States. The countries issued a joint statement this week - committing to co-operate more militarily - in the face of China's push into the Indo-Pacific through a suite of security deals. The first was with the Solomon Islands in April - RNZ can reveal that agreement prompted a high-powered national security meeting here in New Zealand. Here's our deputy political editor Craig McCulloch.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi is on a tour of the Pacific from May 26 to June 4, where he is scheduled to visit eight Pacific Island countries. In this episode, Manoj Kewalramani and Megha Pardhi discuss significance of this visit in backdrop of growing geopolitical activity in the region.Follow Manoj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theChinaDudeFollow Megha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pardhimegha21Check out Takshashila's courses: https://school.takshashila.org.in/You can listen to this show and other incredible shows on the new and improved IVM Podcast App on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/iosYou can check out our website at https://www.ivmpodcasts.com

Cocoa farmers in Solomon Islands express their excitement as they become the first to use a digital platform to export their produce.

The Biden administration is ratcheting up its provocations of China as part of the National Security Strategy of Great Power Conflict, with the President going so far as to say the United States would intervene militarily over Taiwan. The US is also trying to push another trade agreement that would exclude China. On top of that is a propaganda campaign designed to build political support for the New Cold War. Clearing the FOG speaks with independent journalist and political analyst Daniel Haiphong about the war on China, what is happening with Taiwan and the Solomon Islands, Biden's new trade framework and why China's "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" threatens the global elites. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Chinese foreign minister is expected to push a region-wide security deal, which was first revealed in leaked draft documents. Samoa and the Solomon Islands have already inked bilateral agreements with China - which has western allies on high alert. National Party MP Simon O'Connor co-chairs the global Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. He spoke to Corin Dann.

Here's the latest news from the world of Omniglot. This week we have new language pages about: Swampy Cree (ᓀᐦᐃᓇᐍᐏᐣ / nêhinawêwin), a Central Algonquian language spoken Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario in Canada. Bilua, a language isolate spoken on Vella Lavella Island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Cajamarca Quechua (Kashamarka qichwa), a […]

With Australia's federal election results (mostly) known and a new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister sworn in, Allan and Darren examine the meaning of the election and what lies ahead for Australia in the world. As they first discussed in 2019 (episode 19), it is the practice of all government departments to prepare an “incoming government brief”: a document presented to the new (or returning) minister for each department, for the purpose of providing a descriptive overview of what the department does, and highlighting the most important issues facing that particular portfolio as the new term commences. Allan and Darren offer their own thoughts on these matters in this episode.  However, the election result itself is significant in its own right, so before discussing the path ahead for the new Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the specific challenges facing Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Allan and Darren offer their own analysis of the result - both those factors specific to Australia but also what it might mean in a broader comparative context.  We thank Dominique Yap for helping out with audio editing today, and Rory Stenning for composing our theme music. Relevant links Transcript, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, "Quad Leaders' Summit; Australia's relationship with China; Solomon Islands; Russia; Taiwan; AUKUS; climate change", Tokyo, 24 May 2022: https://www.pm.gov.au/media/press-conference-0  The Jezabels, Ten Year Anniversary Tour: https://thejezabels.com/live/  The Girl from the North Country: https://www.northcountry.com.au/