Politics

1 November 2025
Maeverlyn Pitanoe, who was left with severed fingers and burn scars all over her body after a UXO accident in 2021, which killed two other people, speaks to Nikkei Asia on Sep 12 at her home in Fishing Village, a suburb of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. (Photo by Rurika Imahashi)
Military personnel participate in the 80th Indonesian National Armed Forces' anniversary celebrations in Jakarta on Oct. 5. The military on Oct. 17 said it reclaimed a village in the restive Papua region following a battle with bullets and arrows.
Politics

Clash between Indonesian army and insurgents leaves 14 dead in Papua region

Soldiers routed rebels following a village battle, military says

17 October 2025
Teams with members from island nations and regions learn about cyberdefense during last year's exercise. (Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
3 October 2025
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister James Marape attend a flag lowering ceremony in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Sept. 16.
2 October 2025
Residents of Malaita, the Solomon Islands, ride a truck in the provincial capital of Auki. Many of Malaita Island's roads are difficult to traverse. (Photo by Rurika Imahashi)
International relations

China making inroads after pushback in key Solomon Islands province

Trump's US pullout gives China room to expand its aid and infrastructure support

28 September 2025
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele addresses media at the 54th Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara on Sept. 12. (Photo by Rurika Imahashi)
International relations

Taiwan frictions surface again as Pacific summit concludes

In break with standard practice, this year's gathering went ahead without external partners

12 September 2025
Pacific Islands Forum leaders attend a signing ceremony in the Solomon Islands on Sept. 10 for a treaty to launch a climate action fund. (Photo by Shaun Turton).
Climate Change

Pacific leaders kickstart fund to finance climate action

Move comes amid 'frustration' felt by smaller states

10 September 2025
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vanuatu's Prime Minister Jotham Napat did not sign a landmark security and economic deal, but remain committed to doing so. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)
International relations

Australia and Vanuatu still expect to ink security pact despite delay

Pacific island nation's prime minister holds off on signing deal amid internal divisions

9 September 2025
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ahead of a television panel discussion in Bangkok on July 9.
Your Week in Asia

Pacific Island Forum, Thaksin ruling, Lee's first 100 days

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

7 September 2025
New Zealand's Winston Peters speaks at a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers in Suva, Fiji, on Aug. 14. (Screenshot from the X account of New Zealand's Foreign Ministry) 
Indo-Pacific

New Zealand, Australia speak out against Pacific summit exclusions

Solomon Islands' decision to leave out dialogue partners sparks finger-pointing

14 August 2025
A Japanese Mogami-class frigate. Tokyo is set to increase its budget for defense assistance. (Photo by Shinnosuke Nagatomi)
Defense

Japan doubles security aid recipients, adding Sri Lanka, Thailand

5 Indo-Pacific nations to join eligibility list as China concerns grow

21 June 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping and New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on June 20.
International relations

New Zealand PM talks trade and security with Xi in first visit to China

Beijing and Wellington seek to balance trade with competition over Cook Islands

20 June 2025
Participants pose for a group photo at the third China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers' Meeting on May 27 in Xiamen, China. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
International relations

China hosts Pacific island countries' envoys as Taiwan issue looms

Beijing urges commitment to One China policy, pledges economic aid

29 May 2025
Peter Kenilorea Jr. speaks at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China summit in Taiwan on July 30, 2024. (Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China)
International relations

Solomon Islands MP frets over China influence as ministers hold key meeting

Peter Kenilorea Jr. says island nation needs 'all hands on deck' approach to partnerships

27 May 2025
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on March 27. On his Indo-Pacific trip, Hegseth met with the president of the Federated States of Micronesia. (U.S. Air Force)
Trump administration

U.S. bolsters 'second island chain' defense with eye on China

Investment on Pacific island reflects threat of Beijing's growing missile capabilities

1 April 2025
A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules aerial tanker prepares for takeoff from Peleliu Airfield in Palau on June 22, 2024: The plane's arrival marked the runway's reactivation for military purposes for the first time since American forces withdrew in the closing days of World War II. (U.S. Marine Corps)
Big in Asia

Trump policy pivots rattle aid-reliant Pacific ally Palau

Doubts grow over promises of financial support to resist Chinese pressure

22 March 2025
Stream article image
#techAsia

Starlink in the Pacific and Baidu's PR headache

The inside story on the Asia tech trends that matter, from Nikkei Asia and the Financial Times

20 March 2025
Elon Musk, the world's richest man and a giant force in telecoms, is also one of the most politically influential people on the planet, raising questions for small island nations like Palau, seen above, as they consider using his Starlink service to improve their connectivity. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP, Getty Images and Reuters)
Policy Asia

Musk's Starlink expansion across the Pacific sparks enthusiasm -- and concern

Deals get remote islanders online, but fears linger over stranded investment, data security

14 March 2025
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown visits the National Deep Sea Centre in Qingdao, China, in this picture released on Feb. 12. (Facebook via Reuters)
International relations

China, Cook Islands seabed research pact sparks environmental concerns

PM's China visit yielded cooperation deals but rankled New Zealand

17 February 2025
China's influence has grown in the Solomon Islands and other Pacific island nations. (Photo by Koji Uema)
Technology

Japan, Australia to bolster IT personnel of Pacific island nations

Initiative aims to reduce reliance on China for communications infrastructure

17 February 2025
A Coach Connect session takes place in January at Grace Park in Hawthorn, Australia, with Pacific women coaches from Samoa, the Solomon Islands and Fiji. (Tennis Australia)
Sports

Pacific nations' tennis aspirations run up against small island reality

Samoan-Australian's play at Australian Open gives hope to cultures that lack representation

27 January 2025
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right, meets with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, left, at the Pentagon, Aug. 2024 in Washington.
Opinion

Trump's America First risks ceding more ground to China in Pacific

Without coordination with allies like Australia, Washington may fall further behind

25 December 2024
A police patrol car provided as part of aid from the Chinese government is pictures in the Solomon Island capital of Honiara. 
International relations

Australia funds Solomon Islands police as latest pushback against China

Pacific nation aims to double the size of its security force to stem civil unrest

20 December 2024
The health care system is fragile in Palau, which faces shortages of doctors and nurses.
International relations

Japan to support telemedicine in Palau with high-speed network

Move competes with China's efforts to extend influence in Pacific islands

15 December 2024
A National Rugby League match in Sydney. Australia will fund the addition of a Papua New Guinea team in Port Moresby, which is set to join the NRL in 2028.
International relations

Australia backs PNG rugby team in move to thwart China influence

Arrangement has escape clause if Port Moresby signs security deal with Beijing

12 December 2024
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, and Nauru President David Adeang seal an economic and security pact at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra on Dec. 9. (AAP Image)
International relations

Australia seals Nauru aid deal to counter China's influence

Canberra offers budget, security funding in return for veto over third-country pacts

9 December 2024
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te, center, arrives in the Marshall Islands on Dec. 3, during a tour that also took him to Tuvalu and Palau as well as the U.S. territories of Hawaii and Guam. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)
Taiwan tensions

Taiwan's Lai wraps up Pacific tour as region eyes China's next move

Military drills seen as possibility after president tightens ties with islands and U.S.

6 December 2024
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te visits a market during his stay in the Marshall Islands on Dec. 3. (Photo by Tsukasa Hadano)
International relations

Taiwan's Lai faces test in holding onto Pacific island partners

Regional tour seeks to prevent more diplomatic realignment toward China

5 December 2024
Surangel Whipps Jr. has claimed victory in Palau's presidential election.
Politics

Palau incumbent Whipps claims victory in presidential race

Whipps will remain as leader of the Pacific nation, which recognizes Taiwan

12 November 2024
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. (Photo by Takuya Fujiwara)
Politics

Palau's close electoral race focused on domestic pressures

Island nation showing no sign of abandoning diplomatic ties with Taiwan

5 November 2024