Australia and the Pacific
Commentary
China is steadily building an alternative world order
Originally published in the Australian Financial Review on 29 September 2023.
Infrastructure for influence: Pacific Islands building spree
There is a building spree going on in our neighbourhood as Pacific Island countries leverage geopolitical rivalries to fill a huge gap. A rough estimate is that the region needs…
Pacific aid enters a new era
Development priorities across the Pacific are changing, with new players and new financial instruments emerging to increase the scope and magnitude of funding required. The latest…
Empowering women in the Pacific: A collaborative effort to confront online abuse
Technology has brought huge benefits to the Pacific, creating new ways to connect across vast distances. As in other parts of the world, however, it has also brought risks,…
Japan risks its reputation in Oceania with Fukushima discharge
Japan’s decision last month to begin discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean from its destroyed Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is fairly unpopular…
What does the new International Development Policy mean for the Pacific?
“Our Blue Pacific continent is fast becoming an increasingly contested strategic space. The question for us is how prepared are we to tackle the emerging associated challenges… …
A Pacific power play could prove the Quad’s relevance
Last December, I trekked around some of the most remote corners of the Solomon Islands province of Malaita. The communities that hosted me – small villages littered with colourful…
Bracing for 3000 Pacific Engagement Visas
The Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) program is expected to go live in the coming weeks – a promise by the Labor government to draw 3000 eligible citizens from across the Blue…
PNG’s trade ties with China are set to strengthen
Richard Maru, PNG’s trade minister, was startlingly direct at the Australia–Papua New Guinea Business Forum and Trade Expo held in Port Moresby last month. “Enough is enough,” he…
PNG voices: regional partnerships must be based on respect
When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the Papua New Guinea parliament in January, he entitled his speech “a bond between equals”. There was much in his address…