Tag - pacific

 
 

PACIFIC

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 16, 2024
Anxious over funding delay, Pacific island nations warn about China
The additional amount currently needed is a relatively small $2.3 billion.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron as chief guest of celebrations marking India's Republic Day on Jan. 26.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 13, 2024
The fraternity between France and India has never been stronger
Beyond the pomp of Republic Day celebrations with Macron as guest of honor, Modi and the French leader signed substantive defense deals, cementing ties.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa speaks during a ministerial meeting with the 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum held in Suva, Fiji, on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 12, 2024
Japan and Pacific Islands oppose change of status quo amid China clout
The leaders met to lay the groundwork for the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting scheduled in July in Tokyo.
Women workers demand equal pay during a protest in Melbourne.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 7, 2024
Asia is fighting off the diversity backlash
Gender equality is at a crossroads amid a corporate backlash that is threatening progress in in workplace diversity.
Asia's pandemic-era policies must now be unwound against a backdrop of slower GDP growth, higher inflation and increased debt.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 4, 2024
A new economic policy agenda for Asia
Asia's pandemic-era policies must now be unwound against a backdrop of slower GDP growth, higher inflation and increased debt.
Philippine's Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left) and Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong at a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Tuesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jan 30, 2024
Amid China concerns, Manila and Hanoi agree to better manage maritime disputes
The Philippines is turning to neighboring South China Sea claimant states to boost security ties and potentially forge a united front against Beijing.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 23, 2024
China pivot from Taiwan would be Tuvalu's decision, says Australia
Comments by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong come after agreement with Tuvalu that gave Australia greater say in the Pacific nation’s defense and security decisions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Jan. 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 23, 2024
India likely to keep close eye on Chinese research vessel in Maldives
A senior Indian security official has said that information gathered by China's research vessels can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
The health of China's economy will always be a factor in how other Asian economies fare, and some of those are doing OK despite their larger neighbor’s woes.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 19, 2024
The latest indignity for China’s flawed recovery
Neighbors whose economic fortunes were supposed to be tied to the heft of China’s rebound from the pandemic seem to be doing pretty well without it.
Taiwan's election results reflect the democratic aspirations of its citizens but is a cause for disappointment in Beijing.
EDITORIALS
Jan 19, 2024
The winner of Taiwan's election was democracy
The biggest disappointment was felt in Beijing, where inducements, threats and warnings failed to sway Taiwan’s voters.
Locals in the Cook Islands are cynical about the growing attention fixed on their small country, with many saying they don't necessarily trust either superpower to do the right thing by them.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 19, 2024
U.S.-China fight for one Pacific nation mirrors a regional battle
The success of Beijing’s strategy in the Pacific was reinforced just this week when Nauru became the latest island nation to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The Democratic Progressive Party's presidential candidate, Lai Ching-te, the eventual winner, casts his vote during the island's election in Tainan, Taiwan, on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 18, 2024
Taiwan's election and its potential impact on East Asian politics
China tried to interfere in the Taiwanese elections through the systematic use of "cognitive warfare," but failed.
Flags of Solomon Islands and China flutter near the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing on July 11, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 17, 2024
China helps Pacific Islands with policing, not defense: ambassador
Solomon Islands and Kiribati switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2019, with Nauru joining just after Taiwan's election.
A Korean Air plane (left) and Cathay Pacific aircraft made contact with each other at New Chitose Airport on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Jan 17, 2024
Korean Air plane 'strikes' Cathay aircraft in Japan; no injuries
The incident at New Chitose Airport serving Sapporo came two weeks after a near-catastrophic collision at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
An empty flag pole where Nauru's flag used to fly at the Diplomatic Quarter, which houses embassies in Taipei, on Monday
WORLD / Politics
Jan 16, 2024
U.S. decries Nauru dropping Taiwan and warns on China's promises
U.S. officials have previously expressed concern at China whittling away at Taiwan's allies, especially in Central America.
The "wolf warrior" metaphor is used for Chinese diplomats who are known for aggressively making their country’s case on the world stage.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 16, 2024
Doves, pandas and dragons: Decoding the global political zoo
Animal metaphors help us reflect on the rich and varied landscape of foreign policy discourse.
Data center development is time-consuming and complex — requiring a mix of expertise around real estate, technology, local regulations and environmental requirements. Asia’s highly fragmented market makes navigating these factors even more onerous.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 15, 2024
Global investors plow into Asia data centers on AI boom
Asia is becoming the latest hunting ground for investors in data centers, as companies bet on the region’s growing computing and data storage needs.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers his Quad Fellowship Announcement as the leaders of the United States, India and Australia look on after meeting in Tokyo in May 2022.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 8, 2024
Dialogue can boost security where military deterrence can’t
Military buildup without dialogue is too risky — civil society actors in East Asia understand this better than their governments.
Supporters of India's regional Samajwadi Party take part in a campaign rally in Varanasi, India, in March 2022.
COMMENTARY
Jan 5, 2024
Democracy in Asia will get a reckoning this year
Asia’s liberal credentials are under significant pressure, with only a tiny minority of people living in high-performing democracies.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Reno, Nevada, in December last year. Trump's potential return to the White House could have serious implications for the U.S, as well as Japan, as he appears set to be even less inhibited and open to reason than before.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 5, 2024
Potential Trump redux: Unrestrained in Asia or bound by a changed region?
A win for the ex-president in November's election would potentially have big implications for Japan, given the death of Shinzo Abe, its most effective “Trump whisperer.”

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores