Dear Editor, Economic development has become the obsession of governments worldwide. Leaders talk endlessly about GDP growth, foreign investment, and infrastructure projects. Yet the people who make up the foundation of the economy, ordinary families, are left struggling to make ends meet. This is not just an executive problem. It is a leadership problem, and […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Tonga’s future is unfolding in Antarctic waters
By H.E. the Honorable Lord Fakafanua, Prime Minister of Tonga When Pacific leaders meet, we speak for nations whose futures are inseparable from the ocean. Yet some of the decisions affecting our people are made thousands of kilometres away, in negotiating rooms where Pacific countries are few and Large Ocean States are wholly absent. Tonga […]
Posted inOpinion
Divide and Conquer: The Oldest Trick in the Book
Dear Editor, History teaches us that one of the most effective ways for the powerful to maintain control is through division. The Romans mastered it, Julius Caesar exploited tribal rivalries, and Machiavelli wrote about it centuries later. Colonial powers perfected it by amplifying ethnic, tribal, and class differences to keep populations from uniting. The principle […]
Posted inOpinion
Setting the Record Straight: the U.S. Commitment to the Pacific
The United States is a Pacific nation, and thus strong ties with the Pacific Islands are a top priority for our foreign policy. On behalf of President Trump and Secretary Rubio, I’ve been honored to lead our diplomatic efforts in this vital part of the world. As Deputy Secretary of State, I’ve traveled to Fiji, […]
Posted inOpinion
Why the Pacific Islands Forum should watch Taiwan’s East Coast
Domingo I-Kwei Yang SUVA/TAIPEI, 12 AUGUST 2026 (THE DIPLOMAT) —Ahead of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), scheduled to take place 30 August 30 to 04 September in Palau, Pacific Island leaders failed to reach consensus on a joint statement criticising China’s submarine-based ballistic missile testing in the Pacific. The split reflects intensifying great-power competition […]
Posted inOpinion
“NDBP Must Put the Safety of Palauan Families First”
A home is more than just concrete and wood—it is where families build their future. That is why every Palauan has the right to expect that homes financed through NDBP are built with quality materials and inspected to the highest safety standards. Many homeowners have expressed serious concerns that some houses were approved despite alleged […]