Solomon Islands police issue second statement on letter purporting to be from disaffected officers alleging more Chinese police secretly entered the country. RSIPF calls the letter 'grossly misleading disinformation' and says it has 'no knowledge' of any complaints against China

My latest essay: Xi Jinping's Plan to Save China.... Through Science

scholars-stage.org/saving-china-t…

A welcome development- the new Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele holding a formal press conference and taking questions from media. Not unheard of with Sogavare, but rare. Hopefully this sets a happy precedent

A few people (very reasonably) asking about letter which has been circulating, claiming to be from disaffected Solomon Islands police, alleging China has illegally and secretly brought additional police officers into country.

In brief: it’s murky. RSIPF says letter is a fake

Australia and Tuvalu press on with Falepili Union, with the Foreign Minister unveiling new commitments during a bipartisan trip to the Pacific Island country. Both countries also release a new public doc designed to bolster support for the pact
abc.net.au/news/2024-05-0…

Next on Four Corners: Ruthless Pursuit – A Chinese spy speaks out.

Monday 13 May:
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Missed this earlier: Tonga says UN Secretary-General António Guterres will attend PIF leaders meeting in Nuku'alofa in August

Will already be a pretty sharp focus on climate at meeting (with COP31 bid starting to loom)

This will only make it sharper

Quick chat with my colleague Agnes Tupou on Pacific Beat about the bipartisan visit to Tuvalu + the Falepili Union - more detail to come later today
abc.net.au/pacific/progra…

Joint statement from Tuvalu and Australia on Falepili Union also makes it clear it does not 'limit Tuvalu's liberty to enter into diplomatic relations with other States' (i.e. China)

Still waiting on explanatory memorandum which might provide more clarity re security agreements

Relatively rare to see this- FM Penny Wong publicly acknowledges Taiwan as a development partner in her Tuvalu speech, acknowledging its contribution to coastal adaptation project and confirming it will help deliver new telecommunications cable with partners

1 year in jail for Former Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
2 years in jail for former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho. #Breaking #FijiNews ABC News Nick Sas