Australia & Oceania

Australia & Oceania 04/26/22, 23:39

Australia's Defense Minister Peter Dutton accuses China of bribing other countries to secure international deals. The Defense Minister's accusation of China comes as his conservative government faces opposition scrutiny about its failure to stop The Solomons–China's security pact, especially as Australia heads toward a new election next month. The deal alarmed many ...

Australia & Oceania 04/25/22, 01:12

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said on Australia's national broadcaster Sunday, April 24, that Solomon should be "really careful" in its security agreement with China. Joyce had taken Solomon's word that the islands would not allow China to build a naval base there. He went on to talk about China ...

Australia & Oceania 04/20/22, 22:49

China said on Tuesday, April 19, that it had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, a move set to raise concerns from the U.S. and allies Australia and New Zealand about growing Chinese influence in the region. Douglas Ete, chairman of Parliament's public accounts committee, said that the agreements ...

Australia & Oceania 04/18/22, 01:08

In a local television interview on Sunday, April 17, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said that there are concerns about a 'lack of transparency' in the controversial proposed security pact between the Solomon Islands and China. According to Bloomberg, Payne said that the concern is "something that should be discussed in ...

Australia & Oceania 04/15/22, 01:04

An Australian Minister met with the Solomon Islands' Prime Minister on Wednesday, April 13, asking the Pacific island not to sign a proposed security deal with China. The meeting occurred between Zed Seselja, Australia's Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Manasseh Sogavare, Solomon Islands' Prime Minister. In a statement following ...

Australia & Oceania 04/14/22, 17:43

The recent agreement signed between the Solomon Islands and China on April 1 sparked international concern after it was revealed that the South Pacific island nation would allow Beijing to establish a military base there. According to AP, In this context, the United States and Australia are on alert, considering this military ...

News 04/13/22, 04:40

Medical specialists misdiagnosed patients as profoundly unresponsive and extracted their organs while still alive. This is the shocking conclusion researchers reached after completing a thorough investigation. The Australian National University recently published what is claimed to be the world's first study exposing the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP's) transition away from executing ...

Australia & Oceania 04/08/22, 22:51

Bloomberg posted on April 7 that two Australian senior intelligence officials went to the Solomon Islands to work on the Islands' security pact with China. To reassure Australia that it is still a "partner of choice," during the officials' visit, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare publicized a statement on Solomontimes ...

Australia & Oceania 04/06/22, 01:03

Australia has accelerated plans to acquire long-range strike missiles ahead of schedule in response to the increasing risks posed by China. According to the Associated Press, Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said on April 5 that the country would spend 3.5 billion Australian dollars ($2.6 billion) on accelerated reaming of fighter ...

Australia & Oceania 04/02/22, 01:06

Australian journalist Cheng Lei went on trial behind closed doors in a heavily guarded Beijing court on Thursday, March 31, on espionage charges. According to Australia's foreign minister, the trial ended on the same day with the court deferring its verdict. Before being detained in August 2020, Cheng, 46, was a presenter ...

Australia & Oceania 03/29/22, 01:09

On Saturday, March 26, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that meeting with China's new ambassador to Australia would be inappropriate until Beijing lifts a block on ministerial meetings between Australia and China. Morrison said, "For the same reason that President Xi does not meet with our Ambassador in China. Ambassadors ...

Australia & Oceania 03/29/22, 01:08

A draft security deal between China and the Solomon Islands has raised concerns among Australian politicians about China's expanding presence in the Pacific. Talking to ABC Australia, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said on March 27, "I think what Australia has to do is say well, what is the point ...

Australia & Oceania 03/26/22, 22:49

Australia's foreign minister confirmed on Saturday, March 26, that Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei would be put on trial next week over alleged state secret charges. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement, "The Australian Government has been notified by Chinese authorities that Australian citizen, Ms. Cheng Lei, will ...

Australia & Oceania 03/19/22, 03:09

The Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on Wednesday, March 16, issued a warning that Australia and its allies would impose sanctions against China if it provided military support to Russia in its war with Ukraine. Morrison said in a press conference on Wednesday, "I think it's very important for China to ...

Australia & Oceania 03/18/22, 01:16

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on March 16 barred Pacific Networks Corp. and ComNet (USA) LLC from providing telecom services in America, continuing a series of bans of Chinese telecommunications firms over espionage fears. Since January, the FCC has also been proceeding with measures to revoke China Unicom to operate ...

Australia & Oceania 03/14/22, 20:47

On March 12, VOA cited Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst with the U.S.-based global policy think tank Rand Corporation, saying that "China-Australian relations are maybe even worse than U.S.-China relations. It just seems like the atmospherics around China [and] Australia has hit a vitriolic level". According to VOA, relationships between ...