Independent Analysis and Reportage
A View from Afar – In this podcast, political scientist Paul Buchanan and Selwyn Manning analyse how the Pacific region has become the epicentre of foreign policy assertions from the region's, and the world's, powers.
COMMENTARY: By David Robie Timor-Leste, the youngest independent nation and the most fledgling press in the Asia-Pacific, has finally shown how it’s done — with a big lesson for Pacific island neighbours. Tackle the Chinese media gatekeepers and creeping authoritarianism threatening journalism in the region at the top. In Dili on the final day of ... <a title="Ramos-Horta challenges Pacific’s biggest threat to media freedom – China’s gatekeepers" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/06/05/ramos-horta-challenges-pacifics-biggest-threat-to-media-freedom-chinas-gatekeepers/" aria-label="Read more about Ramos-Horta challenges Pacific’s biggest threat to media freedom – China’s gatekeepers">Read more</a>
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned a media blackout imposed on events during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s 10-day tour of Pacific island countries. Wang is today in Papua New Guinea at the end of an eight-country tour that began on May 26, but a “Chinese state media reporter is so ... <a title="RSF condemns Chinese curb on reporters during Pacific island tour" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/06/03/rsf-condemns-chinese-curb-on-reporters-during-pacific-island-tour/" aria-label="Read more about RSF condemns Chinese curb on reporters during Pacific island tour">Read more</a>
ANALYSIS: By Joanne Wallis, University of Adelaide and Maima Koro, University of Adelaide Yet more proposed Chinese “security agreements” in the Pacific Islands have been leaked. The drafts have been described by critics as revealing “the ambitious scope of Beijing’s strategic intent in the Pacific” and its “coherent desire […] to seek to shape the ... <a title="Amplifying narratives about the ‘China threat’ in the Pacific may help Beijing achieve its broader aims" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/28/amplifying-narratives-about-the-china-threat-in-the-pacific-may-help-beijing-achieve-its-broader-aims/" aria-label="Read more about Amplifying narratives about the ‘China threat’ in the Pacific may help Beijing achieve its broader aims">Read more</a>
RNZ Pacific The President of the Federated States of Micronesia says he has serious concerns about the details of two leaked Chinese government documents to be tabled at a meeting next week. President David Panuelo warns the sovereignty of the Pacific Island countries is at stake, and that the outcome of one of the documents ... <a title="China documents threaten Pacific sovereignty, warns FSM president" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/27/china-documents-threaten-pacific-sovereignty-warns-fsm-president/" aria-label="Read more about China documents threaten Pacific sovereignty, warns FSM president">Read more</a>
By Sue Ahearn of The Pacific Newsroom in Canberra Pacific journalists must be allowed to do their jobs, says the head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, Dr Shailendra Singh. Pacific journalists have raised concerns about access and secrecy surrounding the tour of the Pacific by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and ... <a title="Defend media freedom in Pacific, says USP’s journalism head" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/27/defend-media-freedom-in-pacific-says-usps-journalism-head/" aria-label="Read more about Defend media freedom in Pacific, says USP’s journalism head">Read more</a>
RNZ Pacific A Pacific journalist believes the Kiribati government has been coerced by Beijing to accommodate China’s foreign minister’s visit. Kiribati authorities have confirmed that Wang Yi would briefly stopover to meet President Taneti Maamau as part of his Pacific-wide tour. Journalist Rimon Rimon said the government had been “very secretive” and “people are frustrated ... <a title="Kiribati ‘forced’ to allow China visit on Pacific mission, says journalist" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/27/kiribati-forced-to-allow-china-visit-on-pacific-mission-says-journalist/" aria-label="Read more about Kiribati ‘forced’ to allow China visit on Pacific mission, says journalist">Read more</a>
By Felix Chaudhary in Suva People’s Alliance party leader Sitiveni Rabuka says the FijiFirst government is not fit to run the country because it cannot efficiently provide two basic necessities — electricity and water. In a statement issued yesterday, he said the continuing crises of dry taps and regular power cuts was “good reason for ... <a title="FijiFirst not fit to run country over ‘dry taps – no lights’, says Rabuka" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/27/fijifirst-not-fit-to-run-country-over-dry-taps-no-lights-says-rabuka/" aria-label="Read more about FijiFirst not fit to run country over ‘dry taps – no lights’, says Rabuka">Read more</a>
By Barbara Dreaver, TV1 News Pacific correspondent Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is to visit Kiribati on Friday for four hours as part of a Pacific tour to strengthen security ties in the region. It is the first top level bilateral meeting between the two countries since Kiribati switched allegiance to China from Taiwan in ... <a title="Top level Chinese delegation headed to Kiribati – questions over Kanton" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/26/top-level-chinese-delegation-headed-to-kiribati-questions-over-kanton/" aria-label="Read more about Top level Chinese delegation headed to Kiribati – questions over Kanton">Read more</a>
By Sheryl Lal and Akansha Narayan in Nadi, Fiji Although Fiji was unaffected by the first wave of covid-19, its tourism sector — the lifeblood of the economy — has been devastated by border closure across the world due to the pandemic in the past two years. Thus, when the Fijian Tourism Expo (FTE) returned ... <a title="Fiji tourism back on its feet with a fresh focus on sustainability" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/26/fiji-tourism-back-on-its-feet-with-a-fresh-focus-on-sustainability/" aria-label="Read more about Fiji tourism back on its feet with a fresh focus on sustainability">Read more</a>
The Fiji Times The Fiji National University and the University of Auckland have formalised their partnership through a memorandum of understanding that encourages academic cooperation between the two institutions. FNU acting vice-chancellor Dr William May said the collaboration was another opportunity to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the two universities in education and capacity building. ... <a title="FNU formalises ‘exciting’ real world collaboration with Auckland Uni" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/11/fnu-formalises-exciting-real-world-collaboration-with-auckland-uni/" aria-label="Read more about FNU formalises ‘exciting’ real world collaboration with Auckland Uni">Read more</a>
RNZ Pacific Fiji has been ranked as the worst place in the Pacific region for journalists in the latest assessment by the global press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In RSF’s 2022 World Press Freedom Index released last week, Fiji was placed 102nd out of 180 countries — receiving an overall score of 56.91 ... <a title="‘Intimidated’ Fiji worst place for Pacific journalists, says RSF’s freedom index" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/05/09/intimidated-fiji-worst-place-for-pacific-journalists-says-rsfs-freedom-index/" aria-label="Read more about ‘Intimidated’ Fiji worst place for Pacific journalists, says RSF’s freedom index">Read more</a>