Tuvalu prime minister calls on Australia for sovereignty ‘guarantees’ over treaty

Tuvalu’s new prime minister, Feleti Teo, wants “guarantees” from Canberra that a landmark treaty with Australia will not undermine his country’s sovereignty. Teo, who was appointed leader last month, told the Guardian a controversial security clause in the Falepili Union treaty has led to fears among Tuvaluans that Australia “might encroach on Tuvalu’s sovereignty”. The treaty, signed in late 2023, states that the Pacific nation shall “mutually agree with Australia” on partnerships or arrangements with other states on security and defence-related matters. The clause in effect gives Australia veto power…

Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister heads to Tuvalu to cement ties with Pacific ally

Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister has embarked on a visit to diplomatic ally Tuvalu, officials said, after the Pacific island nation’s new government affirmed its “special” relationship with Taipei. Tien Chung-kwang left for the visit on Monday as a special envoy for president Tsai Ing-wen to congratulate and show support for Tuvalu’s new government, said foreign ministry official Eric Chen. Tien will attend celebrations for the new government and meet top officials including new prime minister Feleti Teo to discuss bilateral cooperation before returning on Saturday, Chen said on Tuesday. The…

Tuvalu names Feleti Teo prime minister after pro-Taiwan leader Kausea Natano ousted

Lawmakers in Tuvalu have selected Feleti Teo as the Pacific island nation’s new prime minister, weeks after an election that put ties with Taiwan in focus. Former attorney general Teo secured the support of lawmakers who were elected last month, government secretary Tufoua Panapa told AFP on Monday. There has been speculation that Tuvalu, one of just 12 states that still formally recognise Taiwan, could consider establishing relations with Beijing. Pacific observers will be looking to see whether Teo calls for a policy rethink. Teo’s elevation to prime minister comes…

Culture, democracy and clout: why three Pacific countries are sticking with Taiwan

As a king tide swept through Tuvalu this month, flooding homes and disrupting local sea routes, changes in political currents were also buffeting the country. The wild weather delayed a key meeting between newly elected members of parliament to determine the successor to Tuvalu’s prime minister Kausea Natano, who lost his seat in January’s elections. The new prime minister will need to tackle pressing domestic issues and also wider regional concerns, namely its role in the geopolitical tussle for influence in the Pacific. Natano had been staunch in his government’s…

Tuvalu’s pro-Taiwan prime minister Kausea Natano loses seat in partial election results

The pro-Taiwan leader of the Pacific islands nation of Tuvalu, Kausea Natano, has lost his seat according to partial election results. The vote is being closely watched by Taiwan, China and the United States, amid speculation the micronation could be poised to switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing. Tuvalu, with a population of about 11,200 spread across nine islands, is one of three remaining Pacific allies of Taiwan, after Nauru cut ties this month and switched to Beijing, which had promised more development help. Kausea Natano had pledged to continue support…

Tuvalu goes to the polls in election watched by China and Taiwan

Voting has started in the tiny Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, in a national election that could reverberate from China to Australia, amid a tussle for influence in the region. With just over 11,500 people spread across nine islands, Tuvalu is one of the smallest nations in the world, but the election for the 16-seat parliament was being closely watched. After the vote count, parliamentary negotiations will form a new government and elect the prime minister. Polls opened at 8am and were to close at 4pm. Prime minister Kausea Natano…

Tuvalu election: what’s happening, and what could it mean for Taiwan, China and the Pacific?

On Friday, the small Pacific island nation of Tuvalu will head to the polls to elect members of its 16-seat parliament. With the country’s population sitting at just over 11,000, Tuvalu’s elections rarely spark international headlines. But, against a backdrop of intense geopolitical competition and China’s rising influence in the region, greater scrutiny surrounds this year’s vote – and its outcome may have implications far beyond Tuvalu’s shores. What is happening? Candidates in Tuvalu are battling for one of the two seats in each of Tuvalu’s eight island electorates. Many…

News live: Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea, Farrell says

From 5h ago Sarah Basford Canales Marles will ‘make right decision in Australia’s interest’ over deploying navy vessels to Red Sea Earlier this morning, trade minister Don Farrell left open the possibility Australia could deploy navy vessels to the Red Sea amid ongoing attacks against commercial shipping from Iran-backed militia. This week the US asked Australia to send a warship to the region as part of its duties as a member of the international naval security taskforce, the combined maritime forces. It comes as the Yemen-based and Iran-backed Houthis warned…

Australia Offers Climate Refuge to Tuvalu Citizens, but Not All

The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu once comprised 11 islands. It is now down to nine flecks of land totaling less than 10 square miles, which, like their lost siblings before them, risk gradually being eaten away by the rising tides of the world’s warming oceans. For decades, Tuvalu’s leaders have warned about the effects of the world’s emissions on this tiny place. “It’s a matter of disappearing from the surface of this earth,” Kausea Natano, the prime minister, said in September on the sidelines of the United Nations General…

Smiles and unity at the Pacific Islands Forum mask tough questions shelved for another day

At the close of the Pacific Islands Forum the leaders emerged from their retreat smiling, cut a giant cake with a sword and then, in an impromptu moment of diplomatic bonhomie, posed for a selfie after Anthony Albanese whipped out his phone, Ellen DeGeneres style. It was, quite literally, a picture of harmony. “It’s been a very successful meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum,” said Albanese at his post-leaders’ retreat press conference. “We are family when it comes to the Pacific and there was a good spirit of cooperation and…