In the coming days, Papua New Guineans will head to the polls to vote in the first national election in five years. A struggling economy, the impact of the pandemic and growing frustrations about failing public services are among the leading issues. The results of the election will be important not only to the country’s almost 9 million people, but also for the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape in the wider Pacific region. The election process Of the 2,351 candidates running in the national election, 118 members will be elected. Members…
Day: July 1, 2022
Can China Achieve Its BRICS Ambitions?
Advertisement Beijing and Moscow have so far failed to repurpose the BRICS group into an anti-U.S. coalition, but they are not done trying and might yet succeed. The BRICS countries share a common dissatisfaction with the status quo, and the group is becoming increasingly important to Beijing’s global agenda. The five leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa met virtually on June 23 for the 14th annual BRICS summit. In his opening remarks, Chinese President Xi Jinping, this year’s host, was the only leader to directly reference what…
The Guardian view on Biden’s risky gamble: betting on lowering oil prices | Editorial
Joe Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia this month highlights the paradox of American power. The US has the economic heft to punish an opponent – but not enough to alter the behaviour of a determined adversary. Sanctions will see Russia’s economy contract by 9% next year. But Washington needs more nations to join its camp to halt Moscow’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Mr Biden has been forced to prioritise war objectives over ethics in meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who the CIA says ordered the barbaric murder of the…
Xi Jinping defends China’s clampdown in Hong Kong
CHINESE LEADERS rarely go to Hong Kong. Xi Jinping’s visit on June 30th and July 1st for official celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover from Britain to China was only his second since his rule began nearly a decade ago. It was his first since the territory was engulfed by pro-democracy unrest in 2019. Since then, he said after getting off his train, Hong Kong had “risen from the ashes”. In a speech the next day he said Hong Kong was entering a new period of “order…
Xi Defends Vision of Hong Kong on 25th Anniversary of Return
Advertisement China’s leader Xi Jinping marked the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return with a speech Friday that emphasized Beijing’s control over the former British colony under its vision of “one country, two systems” – countering criticism that the political and civic freedoms promised for the next quarter-century have been largely erased under Chinese rule. Xi praised the city for overcoming “violent social unrest” – a reference to massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 that were followed by a Beijing-driven crackdown that has snuffed out dissent and shut down independent media,…
With Kinmen Comments, Ko Wen-je Dives Into Cross-Strait Debate
Advertisement Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je recently stoked controversy with comments proposing a bridge between Xiamen and Kinmen, which are the geographically closest parts of China and Taiwan, respectively. The remarks have led to a flurry of criticism from the pan-Green camp, with the view that Ko is attempting to cozy up to China. Ko originally became Taipei mayor by running as an independent in 2014, with the endorsement of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and pan-Green camp. At the time, Ko claimed to be beyond the pan-Green and pan-Blue political…
Xi Jinping hails China’s rule over Hong Kong on 25th anniversary of handover
Xi Jinping has hailed China’s rule over Hong Kong as he led 25th anniversary celebrations of the city’s handover from Britain, insisting democracy was flourishing despite a political crackdown that has silenced dissent. After swearing in a new hardline chief executive, John Lee, in a solemn ceremony on Friday morning, the Chinese president laid out his vision for the city and its administrators. On his first trip outside mainland China since the pandemic began, he vowed that “one country, two systems” – a governance model under which Hong Kong was…