Lawmakers and others were quick to condemn the news on X, with IPAC Executive Director Luke de Pulford tagging China’s foreign ministry and writing: “You don’t get to decide the travel plans of foreign politicians. Please leave us alone. Thanks.” “The CCP [Communist Party of China] believes that it can use pressure and coercion to … Read more
Bonfire of EU laws A similar dynamic has played out in issues ranging from workers’ rights to environmental protection. Threats to turn the U.K. into an offshore anarcho-capitalist paradise — occasionally used by British negotiators to threaten their EU counterparts — have in practice gone down no better in Bristol or Birmingham than they did … Read more
INFLUENCE CONCERNS Regional governor Martin Fini, who oversaw the swift expansion of Chinese interests on the island of Malaita, earlier lost his re-election bid, according to the election commission. The province of Malaita refused for years to accept aid or investment from China, bucking the trend as Beijing’s influence expanded across the rest of the … Read more
HONIARA: A prominent Solomon Islands critic of China, the ousted former governor of Malaita province Daniel Suidani, has been reelected, local media reported on Friday (Apr 19), as counting continues in an election being closely watched by China, the US and Australia. The first results in national and provincial elections held in the Solomon Islands … Read more
SYDNEY: Solomon Islands is expected to next week call a national election for April, with China security ties emerging as a key issue as political parties launch campaigns in the Pacific Islands nation. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China soon after the 2019 election that brought him to power, later … Read more
