Australia and the Pacific
Western banks are vacating the Pacific, and Nauru is turning to China
Nauru has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bank of China “to explore solutions and options to its banking issues”.
The China–Nauru MOU will cause further…
Pacific Engagement Visas: New developments but quotas unknown
Australia is surprisingly low-key about the recent launch of its new subclass 192 Pacific Engagement Visa lottery that aims to welcome 3,000 new permanent migrants …
The Translator: “Like-minded countries”
Heard diplomats or analysts using a new turn of phrase only to wonder, “What does that mean?” Today we ask …
What are “like-minded countries”?
Commentators and academics use…
Solomon Islands: Democracy on the ballot
With a week to go before voters take to the polls on 17 April, election campaigns in Solomon Islands are in full swing with 334 candidates vying for 50 seats (only 21 candidates…
Green transition: Supercharging a sustainable future for the Asia‑Pacific
The Asia-Pacific region, a beacon of economic growth, is projected to contribute an astonishing 60% to global GDP growth by 2024. At the heart of this region’s transformation is…
A “climate defence force” for the Pacific
During the summer political slumber, Australian Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh indicated that Canberra was considering permitting recruitment from Pacific Island Countries …
State of play for Pacific women in 2024
As 2024 rang in, an historical vote was taking place in the Pacific. Hilda Heine, former president of the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) and first ever female head of state in…
The bigger political game in the Pacific
Nic Maclellan’s critique of our Lowy Institute policy brief, Geopolitics in the Pacific Islands: Playing for advantage, offers not so much of an alternative argument, but…
The state of play in PNG: A momentous start to 2024
In his first international engagement for the year, James Marape has made history as the first prime minister from Papua New Guinea (or any Pacific Island State) to address the…
Gains, pains, and dubious claims from the Pacific Labour Mobility Survey
The World Bank’s new report, The Gains and Pains of Working Away from Home, makes the extraordinary claim that migrant workers and their communities experience “net positive”…