Unofficial US delegation says support for Taiwan remains ‘rock solid’ after voters defied China
Hong Kong/Taipei CNN —
Asian news from Nauru
A Pacific Island With Ties to Taiwan Was Hacked. Was It Political?
Palau, a clump of about 350 small islands in the Pacific Ocean, has become increasingly important to the United States as China tries to build clout in the Indo-Pacific. This year, Washington finalized a long-delayed plan to give Palau hundreds of millions of dollars in aid over two decades.
Australia boosts funds to Taiwan-ally Tuvalu to counter mainland China’s Pacific influence
Australia will quadruple its financial help to Tuvalu, a Pacific Island nation at risk from rising seas, to cement a landmark climate migration and security deal as China also courts small island states.
US knew Nauru might cut ties to Taiwan before it did so, State Department official says
A top US State Department official has acknowledged that the US was aware that the Pacific island nation of Nauru was weighing whether to switch its diplomatic ties from Taiwan to mainland China before it formally did so in January, and sought to counter the move.
Japan to shore up security support for Pacific Islands in ‘significant’ policy shift as China looms
Japan’s Defence Minister Minoru Kihara will hold talks with peers from Pacific Island nations next week over security support, as Tokyo steps away from decades of Pacific policy to counter China’s dealmaking in a remote but strategically crucial region.
Tuvalu’s new government commits to continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of Beijing
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Tuvalu’s new government on Wednesday committed the tiny South Pacific island nation to continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of switching to Beijing, but said it plans to renegotiate a security pact recently struck with Australia in response to China’s growing regional influence.
US extends losing streak to China in the Pacific
I started life as a fan of a hapless baseball team called the Washington Senators, so I recognize losing when I see it. There’s plenty of losing going on in the Pacific as the Chinese seek to undercut the American and Australian positions.
Australia’s naval splurge all about deterring China
Australia has announced an ambitious naval shipbuilding plan aimed to check China’s expansion in its maritime peripheries and enable it to play a more significant role in a potential war over Taiwan.
US-China relations: how Washington’s Pacific funding crunch ‘plays right into’ Beijing’s hands
The deal, which dates back to former US President Ronald Reagan’s administration and equates to about US$100 million a year, funds education, infrastructure, disaster preparedness and climate change resilience, among other urgent needs.