7 Aug 2019
Pacific islands stand ground on West Papua push
In a battle of wills in the region, Australia and Indonesia now find the island nations have a measure of leverage.
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7 Aug 2019
Climate change is a national security issue
The Morrison government’s Pacific “Step Up” will stumble before it starts unless global warming is taken seriously. -
1 Aug 2019
China’s aid: lend your money, (don’t) lose your friend
“Friendship” is a common formula Beijing’s uses describe its Pacific ties – but what does being friends really mean? -
31 Jul 2019
Pacific links: life on Manus, kava questions, seasonal workers, more
From tracking development data to the visit of PNG’s PM, stories and links from across the Pacific islands region. -
30 Jul 2019
The Pacific step up goes to Washington
Finding a voice amid the diplomatic clamour in Washington can sometimes benefit from the help of friends. -
26 Jul 2019
The limits to French grandeur in the Indo-Pacific
Emmanuel Macron wants to restore France to be a great power but despite a regional footprint his dreams may be fleeting. -
17 Jul 2019
Pacific links: China challenge, an “Elevation”, power lifting, more
<p>Between a Step Up, Reset, Uplift and Elevation, plenty of diplomatic attention is focused on the region.</p> -
9 Jul 2019
The US does more in the Pacific than it gives itself credit for
Technical definitions of what counts as “aid” fail to capture the full scope of American assistance in the region. -
3 Jul 2019
Pacific links: power games, volcanic eruptions, and media blackouts
Links and stories from across the Pacific islands region. -
27 Jun 2019
The Pacific: pinching pennies doesn’t make for policy longevity
Australians might be wary on aid but are far more alert to the region’s biggest security concern in climate change. -
21 Jun 2019
Australia’s aid in PNG: the need for a gendered approach
Tackling endemic domestic violence and the lack of women in parliament should be renewed as a focus across the Pacific. -
19 Jun 2019
Pacific links: Paladin problems persist, climate warriors, more
Manus Island contract trouble, New Zealand’s cash splash for defence, and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
5 Jun 2019
Pacific links: Marape takes the reins, showing up to step up, more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
5 Jun 2019
The Pacific’s social politics
Damaging rumours might flash across phones, yet the answer to social media trouble lies not in bans but engagement. -
31 May 2019
The importance of Taiwan’s diplomatic partners in Oceania
With the China challenge in the Pacific, Australia and the US could work together to help Taiwan preserve regional ties. -
27 May 2019
Modi’s second term: what it means for the South Pacific
Having rebuilt long neglected ties to the region, Modi looks set to capitalise on an “Indo-Pacific” connection. -
22 May 2019
Pacific links: surely not another MPs citizenship saga ..., more
Solomon Islands demands to Taiwan, trouble in Tuvalu, the journey to be a seasonal worker and more regional stories. -
22 May 2019
Sign of respect: the Freely Associated States come to Washington
Wooed by China and Taiwan, the presidents of Palau, Micronesia and Marshall Islands now sit down with Donald Trump. -
8 May 2019
Pacific links: UN chief inbound, don’t forget slip slop slap, more
Tuvalu has no sunscreen, kickboxing titles in PNG, the ADB in Fiji, plus links from the Pacific islands region. -
24 Apr 2019
A billion reasons: the future of PNG’s Sustainable Development Fund
PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is waging battle in the courts over a predecessor’s multi-billion dollar legacy. -
23 Apr 2019
Simplistic and wrong to say the ABC is missing from Pacific coverage
So often the ABC asks questions to provide answers other media outlets run with. -
17 Apr 2019
Follow the money: how foreign aid spending tells of Pacific priorities
Donor countries, be it Australia or China, illustrate their regional interests by where they choose to put their cash. -
10 Apr 2019
Pacific links: just two women in Solomon Islands parliament, more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
29 Mar 2019
Ignoring international law in the Blue Pacific
Colonised peoples have rights to resources, on land and in the oceans, and this must be recognised. -
27 Mar 2019
Pacific links: Tsai’s island travels, new in Niue, more
Indonesia’s interests in the neighbourhood, Vanuatu’s economy, and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
21 Mar 2019
Getting the right data is step one to address Pacific problems
Much of the information needed to tackle regional challenges already exists – gathering this data is key. -
19 Mar 2019
Not one, but two new points of tension for France in the Pacific
Two tiny and uninhabited islands have revived deep tensions between France and Vanuatu, even after New Caledonia’s vote. -
13 Mar 2019
Pacific links: faux pas, cricket bats, more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
12 Mar 2019
Canberra’s Pacific pivot is bereft of vision
The government’s motivations appear sincere but are riddled with anxiety about the risks of investing in the region. -
28 Feb 2019
Sovereignty for citizenship might help the Pacific
You can’t eat sovereignty, you can’t drink independence, and you can’t build a house in the middle of the ocean. -
27 Feb 2019
Pacific Links: earthquakes, cyclones, and single-use plastic
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
15 Feb 2019
A rising China and the future of the “Blue Pacific”
China’s growing economic and political strength globally brings both challenges and opportunities for the Pacific. -
13 Feb 2019
Pacific Links: logging paradox, erupted islands, more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
30 Jan 2019
Pacific links: APEC rebuke, raised eyebrows, and more
Links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
16 Jan 2019
Pacific links: “You’re my best friend”
Scott Morrison on an island escapade, leaders serenade, and links and stories from the Pacific Islands region. -
14 Jan 2019
Morrison in Vanuatu and Fiji: broadening, not deepening
Rather than another grand initiative for the Pacific, Scott Morrison should join up policy at home for deeper relations. -
20 Dec 2018
Stepping up on Pacific infrastructure
The advantage of concessional loans is grant funding by Australia can be leveraged into a much larger amount. -
18 Dec 2018
What I missed this year: Australia waking up to the Pacific
<p>Lowy Institute experts look back on what surprised them in 2018</p> -
12 Dec 2018
Pacific links: call to close bases, deep sea struggles, more
Plus money for regional infrastructure, Fiji election results, and links from the Pacific islands region. -
10 Dec 2018
Dimly lit renewable energy initiatives for the Pacific
<p>Population, technical capacity and economies of scale stand in the way to renewable energy in the region.</p> -
28 Nov 2018
Pacific links: APEC reactions, “a summit like no other”, more
Navy bases, journalist suspension, deals with China, and stories from the Pacific islands region. -
28 Nov 2018
Charting a more sustainable development path in the Pacific
Competing to counter the influence of China in the Pacific suggests that Australia may have lost its way. -
23 Nov 2018
Time we heard the Pacific’s take on the Pacific
Should we really lament the passing of the old-fashioned foreign correspondent, or take a chance for something new? -
21 Nov 2018
Australia finds itself at a Pacific crossroads
Australia should foster more sustainable relationships in the Pacific. -
14 Nov 2018
Pacific links: APEC underway, banking on the region, more
The summit comes to Port Moresby, PNG’s health problems in the spotlight, and stories from the Pacific islands region. -
12 Nov 2018
Meaningful participation: women and peacebuilding in the Pacific
Experience in Bougainville and Solomon Islands highlights the potential role of women to support the process. -
1 Nov 2018
Labor’s ambitions in the Pacific
Australia’s politicians are yet to explain why Pacific nations would want only one partner. -
22 Oct 2018
Chinese whispers and Pacific agency
Pacific island countries are well aware of strategic risks, and want the issues that worry them most to be in focus. -
17 Oct 2018
Pacific links: PNG, the fast and the furious, more
Sports cars for APEC, French Polynesia wants justice for nuclear tests, plus links from the Pacific islands region. -
15 Oct 2018
Reconciling with China in the Pacific
To overcome suspicion, Australia should work to reshape the multilateral system for better global collaboration on aid.