Pacific Islands
Politics
China’s Pacific push isn’t a clean sweep
The 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in the Solomon Islands highlights the region as a geopolitical battleground, with Pacific nations increasingly aligning with China amid the China-Taiwan rivalry, while traditional powers lose ground. Yet defiant holdouts like Palau resist, urging a stronger US presence. Academic Ghulam Ali analyses the situation.
Ghulam Ali
30 Sep 2025
Politics
China’s live-fire drills: A show of force in the Pacific?
Australia and New Zealand’s reactions to the PLA Navy’s recent live-fire drills off the shores of their waters reflect the intensity of their concerns regarding China’s growing naval power and presence in their backyards, says academic Ghulam Ali.
Ghulam Ali
03 Mar 2025
Politics
China-Cook Islands deal raises New Zealand’s concern
Cook Islands, which has a “free association” relationship with New Zealand, moved closer to China with their recent comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. Even as New Zealand raised concerns about the changing dynamics, this situation has recast the spotlight on China’s growing influence in the Pacific region, says academic Ghulam Ali.
Ghulam Ali
20 Feb 2025
Politics
Geopolitical tug of war an opportunity for Pacific Island nations
Concerns about a stronger Chinese engagement - following the unexpected security pact between China and the Solomon Islands in 2022 - rattled the US and its regional allies, Australia and New Zealand, into stepping up their engagements with the Pacific Island countries. Not unexpectedly, these island countries now find themselves beneficiaries of the competition for geopolitical influence even as they try to avoid being drawn into it.
Anne-Marie Schleich
04 Dec 2023
Politics
If at first you don't succeed: Australia woos the Indo-Pacific on AUKUS
Australia made extensive diplomatic overtures to Asia prior to its March update about the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine arrangement with the UK and the US, note researchers Blake Herzinger and Alice Nason. Canberra appears to have gained some traction in the region, but it should not rest on its laurels.
Blake Herzinger, Alice Nason
14 Apr 2023
Politics
Fiji an important regional power broker as great power politics intensifies in the Pacific
The recent elections in Fiji resulted in the first democratic transition since 2014 after three opposition parties narrowly voted for a pro-Western coalition government with Sitiveni Rabuka as the new prime minister. The election outcome also has geopolitical implications considering the growing US-China confrontation in the Pacific and the renewed US re-engagement in the South Pacific with a focus on Fiji.
Anne-Marie Schleich
09 Jan 2023
Politics
China gearing up for intense competition in the Pacific
China knows it needs to soften its tone as the US, Australia, New Zealand and others bristle at its interest in the Pacific island countries. The traditional powers are stepping up their game as well. But whether it likes it or not, the region will likely see greater power tussles as the strategic imperatives are simply too great for China to back off completely.
Zhang Denghua
15 Jun 2022
Politics
The South Pacific Ocean: Another battleground for China-US competition?
While the South Pacific is looking to be an emerging arena of greater competition with China on one side and the US and its allies on the other, US-based academic Hong Nong also sees that areas of common interest could still drive cooperation between them, depending on which direction the pendulum swings.
Hong Nong
21 Apr 2022
Politics
Will China-Solomon Islands security cooperation bring new tensions to the South Pacific?
The new policing and security agreements between China and the Solomon Islands have neighbouring countries such as Australia and New Zealand anxious about the potential militarisation of the region. Zaobao correspondent Edwin Ong warns that small island nations in the South Pacific must be careful about choosing sides so as not to become pawns in great power competition.
Edwin Ong
31 Mar 2022