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News Articles: Pacific

In this image from a video, Solomon Islands Prime Minister-elect Jeremiah Manele speaks during a press conference in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Thursday.

Newly elected prime minister in Solomon Islands is likely to keep close China ties

Solomon Islands lawmakers elected former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as prime minister Thursday in a development that suggests the South Pacific island nation will maintain close ties with China.

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By:
  • The Associated Press
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, shakes hands with Tonga's Prime Minister Tonga's Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Wednesday, July 26, 2023.

The U.S. dedicates a new embassy in Tonga in a bid for more influence in the Pacific

Tonga is just one stop on a tour of the Pacific by Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week. He is the latest in a parade of US diplomats to visit Oceania in the last year.

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By:
  • Ashley Westerman
Visiting Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, left, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang after they witnessed signing on agreement for both countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, July 10, 2023.

The leader of the Solomon Islands visited Beijing. Here is why that's important

A pact on police cooperation is just one of several deals signed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare this week during a trip to Beijing meant to upgrade the relationship between the two countries.

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By:
  • Ashley Westerman
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, appears on stage at the Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers' meeting with Fiji's Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Monday, May 30, 2022, in Suva, Fiji.

China falls short on big deal in South Pacific but finds smaller wins

Beijing's hopes to developing a marine plan for fisheries holding police training fell short over some countries' concerns over increasing geopolitical tensions and threatening regional stability.

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By:
  • The Associated Press
Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talk during a ceremony to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Solomon Islands and China at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sept. 21, 2019.

Western countries watch as China's foreign minister begins South Pacific tour

Australia was scrambling to counter the move by sending its own Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Fiji to shore up support in the Pacific.

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By:
  • The Associated Press
Australian shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong speaks to media in Darwin, Australia, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Australia's opposition party promises to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China's potential military presence on the Solomon Islands.

Australian opposition party vows to train Pacific armies

The announcement comes amid concerns that other Pacific island countries financially weakened by the pandemic and its impact on tourism could be lured by China into similar deals.

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By:
  • The Associated Press
The Tupua Tamasese Meaule Hospital is pictured in Apia, Samoa, on July 10, 2015. Samoa will go into lockdown beginning Saturday as it faces its first outbreak of the coronavirus after a woman who was about to leave the country tested positive.

Samoa locks down after recording its first community COVID-19 case

A 29-year-old woman tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday during routine testing before boarding an international flight.

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By:
  • Ashley Westerman
This Jan. 4 photo shows Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region.

Pentagon Pushes For Bigger Effort To Deter China's Growing Military Might

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative aims to beef up the military in the Pacific and work more closely with partners and allies. But some experts are cautious about inflating the Chinese threat.

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By:
  • Tom Bowman