SYDNEY/PORT VILA, 15 APRIL 2020 (REUTERS)—-A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) plane carrying aid to cyclone-struck Vanuatu turned around and returned home on Sunday as a Chinese plane with medical equipment was already on the airport’s tarmac, Vanuatu airport officials said. The decision to return to Australia, some 2,000 km (1,240 miles) away was made […]
Tag: China
Posted inPacific News
Frozen shark find in Chinese ship in sanctuary alarms Tahiti group
PAPE’ETE,13 APRIL 2020 (RNZ PACIFIC)—A shark protection group in Tahiti has written an open letter to the French Polynesian government after last month’s discovery of cut up frozen sharks in the hold of a stranded Chinese fishing vessel. In the letter, the Mao Mana Foundation asked for clarification after the French High Commission reacted to […]
Posted inWorld News
Chinese smartphone health code rules post-virus life
WUHAN, China (AP) — Since the coronavirus outbreak, life in China is ruled by a green symbol on a smartphone screen. Green is the “health code” that says a user is symptom-free and it’s required to board a subway, check into a hotel or just enter Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people where […]
Posted inPacific News
China wants Solomon Islands travel ban reconsidered
HONIARA, 05 MARCH 2020 (SOLOMON STAR) — Head of the Chinese Embassy Taskforce in Solomon Islands Yao Ming wants the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) to ease the travel restriction to allow their diplomat officials to travel to the Solomon Islands. The travel ban was placed in early February 2020 after the coronavirus (2019-nCov) outbreak in […]
Posted inPacific News
Solomon Islands seeks $100 billion loan from Chinese interests-documents
HONIARA, 24 FEBRUARY 2020 (REUTERS) — The government of the Solomon Islands is seeking a US$100 billion loan from Chinese interests in negotiations that started shortly after the small South Pacific archipelago switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing last year. Details of the proposal, reviewed by Reuters, have sparked concern over whether the small […]
Posted inOpinion
Solomon Islands eternal debt trap
AUKI,24 FEBRUARY 2020 (SOLOMON STAR) —The Malaita Provincial Premier Daniel Suidani has labeled the proposed USD$100 billion (SBD$800b) loan from a private Chinese source as an ‘eternal debt trap’ for the Solomon Islands. Premier Suidani after viewing the documents released by local media last week shared his grave concern about the proposed deal. This was […]