The $3bn bargain: how China dominates Pacific mining, logging and fishing
Guardian analysis of trade data has revealed that China received more than half the total tonnes of seafood, wood and minerals exported from the region in 2019, a haul worth $3.3bn that has been described by experts as “staggering in magnitude”.
The country’s mass extraction of resources comes as China has deepened its connections with governments across the region, amid a soft power push that sees it rivalling the influence of the US and Australia in the Pacific.
China took more by weight of these resources from the Pacific than the next 10 countries combined, with experts saying China “would easily outstrip” other countries, including Australia, when it comes to “gross environmental impact of its extractive industries”.
Source: The Guardian #May30
https://t.co/V4n5Z7OROW
#China #Pacific #Mining #Logging #Fishing
Guardian analysis of trade data has revealed that China received more than half the total tonnes of seafood, wood and minerals exported from the region in 2019, a haul worth $3.3bn that has been described by experts as “staggering in magnitude”.
The country’s mass extraction of resources comes as China has deepened its connections with governments across the region, amid a soft power push that sees it rivalling the influence of the US and Australia in the Pacific.
China took more by weight of these resources from the Pacific than the next 10 countries combined, with experts saying China “would easily outstrip” other countries, including Australia, when it comes to “gross environmental impact of its extractive industries”.
Source: The Guardian #May30
https://t.co/V4n5Z7OROW
#China #Pacific #Mining #Logging #Fishing
China wants to control Indo-Pacific, Defense Secretary Austin says
China is set on controlling the Indo-Pacific, and without a direct line of communication between leaders in Washington and Beijing, a small incident can spark a crisis, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Thursday.
Austin described the lack of a hotline -- popularly called a red phone -- as a "critical" issue.
He was answering a question from Maine Sen. Angus King, who likened the situation to that portrayed in "The Guns of August," the late historian Barbara Tuchman's Pulitzer Prize-winning book on the lead-up to World War I. The June 1914 assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne quickly exploded into armed conflict, owing partly to the lack of a mechanism to de-escalate tensions.
Source: Nikkei Asia #Jun11
https://t.co/UOLhfsgjyR
#China #Pacific #Washington #Beijing
China is set on controlling the Indo-Pacific, and without a direct line of communication between leaders in Washington and Beijing, a small incident can spark a crisis, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Thursday.
Austin described the lack of a hotline -- popularly called a red phone -- as a "critical" issue.
He was answering a question from Maine Sen. Angus King, who likened the situation to that portrayed in "The Guns of August," the late historian Barbara Tuchman's Pulitzer Prize-winning book on the lead-up to World War I. The June 1914 assassination of the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne quickly exploded into armed conflict, owing partly to the lack of a mechanism to de-escalate tensions.
Source: Nikkei Asia #Jun11
https://t.co/UOLhfsgjyR
#China #Pacific #Washington #Beijing
#China and #Solomon Islands Draft Secret #SecurityPact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific
//A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II.
The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government...
it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.
“This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real cause of concern for our allies and partners,” Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said on Friday.
“The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly degrade Australia and New Zealand’s security, increase the chances of local corruption and heighten the chances of resource exploitation.”
The leaked document states that “Solomon Islands may, according to its own needs, request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and property.”//
Read the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/world/asia/china-solomon-islands-security-pact.html
Source: New York Times #Mar24
#Security #InternationalRelations #FiveEyes #Australia #Defense #Pacific #WW2
//A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II.
The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government...
it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.
“This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real cause of concern for our allies and partners,” Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said on Friday.
“The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly degrade Australia and New Zealand’s security, increase the chances of local corruption and heighten the chances of resource exploitation.”
The leaked document states that “Solomon Islands may, according to its own needs, request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and property.”//
Read the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/world/asia/china-solomon-islands-security-pact.html
Source: New York Times #Mar24
#Security #InternationalRelations #FiveEyes #Australia #Defense #Pacific #WW2
Nytimes
China and Solomon Islands Draft Secret Security Pact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific (Published 2022)
The leaked agreement, if signed, could help the Chinese Navy block shipping routes that played a vital role in World War II.
China’s grand tour: Opposition mounts to Beijing ‘expansionism’ in Pacific
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has accused Beijing of unnecessary expansion of its security reach, as MPs urge her to counter the superpower's "persuasion and pressure".
And Australia's new foreign minister has flown urgently to Fiji in a last-ditch bid to dissuade Pacific Island nations from signing up to a new Chinese security pact.
Source: Newsroom #May28
https://t.co/3VnQ9NVrT9
#China #Australia #NewZealand #Honiara #Pacific
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has accused Beijing of unnecessary expansion of its security reach, as MPs urge her to counter the superpower's "persuasion and pressure".
And Australia's new foreign minister has flown urgently to Fiji in a last-ditch bid to dissuade Pacific Island nations from signing up to a new Chinese security pact.
Source: Newsroom #May28
https://t.co/3VnQ9NVrT9
#China #Australia #NewZealand #Honiara #Pacific
Commemorating Tragic Loss in Anti-Extradition Protest
Supporters Risk Littering Fine with Floral Tributes
June 15th marks the fourth memorial of the tragic death of Marco Leung Ling-kit, who fell from a height at #Admiralty #Pacific Place. His passing remains a solemn reminder of the #AntiExtradition Law Amendment Bill (#AntiELAB) protest in Hong Kong in 2019. This day holds significant importance as it honors the memory of Leung and reflects upon the events that unfolded during the movement.
Leung's untimely demise, coupled with the Hong Kong government's failure to respond to the demands of pro-democracy protesters to #WithdrawTheBill, gave rise to a subsequent mass protest involving two million Hong Kongers. The resounding slogan "Not disbanding until withdrawal" echoed throughout the city as a symbol of unity and resilience.
Unlike previous years, there were no uniformed police officers stationed at the site on this occasion. However, a considerable number of plainclothes police officers were scattered in the vicinity. They did not interfere with citizens who came to pay tribute to Leung and allowed them to stand and observe a moment of silence. Nevertheless, when individuals placed their floral tributes at the designated flowerbeds, plainclothes officers holding "fixed penalty tickets" swiftly emerged from all sides, warning that failure to retrieve the flowers would result in a littering fine.
The white flowers that had been placed in the flowerbeds earlier were respectfully removed by cleaning workers around 8 o'clock in the evening.
Source: Panda; #Jun15
https://www.facebook.com/100075850610487/posts/pfbid029z6nvuj5jMETf2e2LreuKtvBxT1Tw2LXm4t1CdC7z97YGzu4MWDGoQDfL19xGDvol/
Supporters Risk Littering Fine with Floral Tributes
June 15th marks the fourth memorial of the tragic death of Marco Leung Ling-kit, who fell from a height at #Admiralty #Pacific Place. His passing remains a solemn reminder of the #AntiExtradition Law Amendment Bill (#AntiELAB) protest in Hong Kong in 2019. This day holds significant importance as it honors the memory of Leung and reflects upon the events that unfolded during the movement.
Leung's untimely demise, coupled with the Hong Kong government's failure to respond to the demands of pro-democracy protesters to #WithdrawTheBill, gave rise to a subsequent mass protest involving two million Hong Kongers. The resounding slogan "Not disbanding until withdrawal" echoed throughout the city as a symbol of unity and resilience.
Unlike previous years, there were no uniformed police officers stationed at the site on this occasion. However, a considerable number of plainclothes police officers were scattered in the vicinity. They did not interfere with citizens who came to pay tribute to Leung and allowed them to stand and observe a moment of silence. Nevertheless, when individuals placed their floral tributes at the designated flowerbeds, plainclothes officers holding "fixed penalty tickets" swiftly emerged from all sides, warning that failure to retrieve the flowers would result in a littering fine.
The white flowers that had been placed in the flowerbeds earlier were respectfully removed by cleaning workers around 8 o'clock in the evening.
Source: Panda; #Jun15
https://www.facebook.com/100075850610487/posts/pfbid029z6nvuj5jMETf2e2LreuKtvBxT1Tw2LXm4t1CdC7z97YGzu4MWDGoQDfL19xGDvol/
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