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Pacific nations

Pacific nations
Pacific nations
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Pacific nations. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Neighbours gather near the home of a 55-year-old mother of two in the Tsak Valley in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea after she was accused of sorcery and tortured. Photo: AFP
Papua New Guinea

‘Glassman’ jailed: PNG hopes ruling can curb tribal sorcery violence

After a horrific machete killing, a landmark ruling in Papua New Guinea aims to curb deadly sorcery accusations driven by jealousy and greed.

Climate change

Opinion | Asia can’t afford to wait for the US to wake up to its climate duty

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Papua New Guinea

Pacific nation’s Facebook blackout tied to content ‘control’ experiment

Tourism

French Polynesian cruise shows every storm cloud has a silver lining

Cruise passengers forced off course by storms get a rare glimpse of the Marquesas Islands before the weather breaks for a postcard finish.

Hive Oa tribespeople host a dance for Windstar passengers who detoured to the Marquesas Islands. Photo: TNS
Kiribati

Another tiny Pacific nation courts China for deep-sea mining riches

With a seabed rich in cobalt, nickel and copper, Kiribati is seeking new partners after a previous deal with a Canadian company fell through.

Fiji

Scientists think they’ve finally figured out how iguanas got to Fiji

Most modern-day iguanas live in the Americas – thousands of miles and one giant ocean away from the collection of remote Pacific islands.

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New Zealand

Letters | Why China conducted naval drills in waters between Australia and New Zealand

Readers discuss Beijing’s maritime strategy, the US’ global influence, and the rise of China’s creative industry.

Sailors onboard the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Arunta look at the People’s Liberation Army-Navy Fuchi-class replenishment vessel and Weishanhu Jiangkai-class frigate Hengyang in the Tasman Sea on February 13.Photo: Australian Defence Force/AFP
New Zealand

Beware China’s hold on Pacific, New Zealand spy chief warns

Security Intelligence Service head also has his eye on Cook Islands’ ties with Beijing.

Singapore

France projects Indo-Pacific ambition in Singapore with carrier strike group

The visit by the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier-led flotilla comes amid China’s heightened military activities in the Indo-Pacific.

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New Zealand

New Zealand’s foreign minister berates Mexico-born MP’s use of Maori name

Winston Peters, who is Maori, objected to Ricardo Menendez March calling New Zealand by its Maori name, ‘Aotearoa’, in parliament.

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

Eyeing the Pacific, Lockheed unveils low-cost US$150,000 cruise missile

CMMT missile is designed to fill a gap between cheaper glide weapons and more expensive cruise missiles.

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Lockheed Martin wants to sell US$150,000 cruise missiles. Photo: EPA-EFE
Australia

Will Australia use PNG defence deal as a ‘watchtower’ to track Chinese navy?

While the pact aims to strengthen Canberra’s regional leadership, it could also be utilised to monitor Chinese naval activity in the Pacific.

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New Zealand

Cook Islands PM beats no-confidence vote over China deals

Prime Minister Mark Brown struck a strategic partnership with China this month, irking Cook Islands’ opposition and New Zealand.

Diplomacy

Opinion | New Zealand need not fear China’s growing ties with Pacific nations

Rather than falling victim to zero-sum illusions, the West must embrace the multiplex nature of Pacific diplomacy.

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Cook Islands’ Prime Minister Mark Brown visits the National Deep Sea Centre in Qingdao, China in this picture released on February 12, 2025. Photo: Mark Brown, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands / Facebook via Reuters
Diplomacy

Why China may face ‘scrutiny’ over police diplomacy in developing world

From freeing scam centre victims to sharing police techniques, China is looking to expand its influence and protect citizens overseas.

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Chinese police escort Chinese nationals suspected of being involved in telecoms fraud after they were repatriated from Myanmar, in Nanjing on February 20. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong

Passports with visa-free access to Hong Kong, Singapore set to go on sale

Foreigners paying at least US$140,500 for a Nauru passport may never set foot on the tiny island – but still get all the benefits.

Diplomacy

After China deal, Cook Islands looks beyond ‘big brother’ New Zealand, US

The islands’ PM said Pacific nations were looking for other countries to ‘fill the gap’ in the wake of Trump’s return as US president.

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Australia

Australia to deport violent criminals to remote Pacific atoll

Australia already pays Nauru, a nation of 13,000 people, to house its unwanted asylum seekers who arrive by boat.

A beach on the remote Pacific atoll of Nauru. Photo: AFP

China, Cook Islands pledge deeper cooperation as Li Qiang, Mark Brown meet

Multiple cooperation deals signed as Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown talk in Harbin, CCTV reports.

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New Zealand

Cook Islands says comprehensive strategic partnership deal signed with China

The partnership establishes a framework for engagement on ‘priority areas’ including trade and investment, tourism and climate resilience.

Tourism

Beaches, caves, the Blue Lagoon: kayaking in Fiji’s Yasawa islands

Kayaking allows visitors to enjoy a relaxed trip through Fiji’s turquoise waters and volcanic islands and soak up the culture.

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A kayaker pulled up on the beach on Nacula Island in the Yasawa archipelago, Fiji. Photo: Shutterstock
Fiji

US man sentenced to life for murdering wife at Fiji resort during honeymoon

A judge said Bradley Robert Dawson showed ‘appalling’ disregard for Christe Chen’s life as he fled the scene after attacking her.

The Yasawa archipelago in Fiji where the murder took place. Photo: Shutterstock
China-New Zealand relations

Chinese Premier Li Qiang set to meet Cook Islands leader Mark Brown in Harbin

Cook Islands’ expected partnership deal with China has triggered tensions between the South Pacific nation and New Zealand.

Samoa

Miss Pacific Islands hit by fraud row after Samoa beauty queen wins title

Pageant judges stopped from leaving the host nation, Solomon Islands, as police investigate fraudulent activities at the event.

Taiwan

Why the ‘Out of Taiwan’ language theory is a cross-strait battleground

Mainland Chinese academics are countering the hypothesis that the island was the ancestral homeland of the Austronesian peoples.

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The Austronesians are a group of ethnic communities spread across a vast region of the world – including Taiwan. Photo: Shutterstock
New Zealand

China, the Cook Islands – and New Zealand’s struggle for Pacific influence

By signing a deal with Beijing, the Cook Islands is asserting its independence – in a stark challenge to New Zealand’s Pacific strategy.

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The Cook Islands, with its population of around 15,000, is a self-governing nation in free association with New Zealand. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

Can China fill a US-sized void in the Pacific after Trump’s foreign aid freeze?

China could boost involvement through economic and climate adaptation projects to help Pacific nations meet development needs, analysts say.

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New Zealand

Cook Islands’ new passport move, China deal leave New Zealand ‘blindsided’

Foreign Minister Winston Peters expresses concern over Pacific nation’s independent plans, including a proposed pact with Beijing.

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