When an Australian patrol aircraft met a Chinese jet over the South China Sea last month, the encounter quickly moved beyond airspace to digital space. Beijing’s subsequent coordinated online campaign shows that information operations are …
Articles by: "Astrid Young"
ASPI’s newly expanded China Defence Universities Tracker reveals how leading Chinese research institutions, including Shanghai University (SHU), are developing advanced uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to boost China’s military and territorial ambitions. SHU’s Jinghai series are …
Competition in the Pacific is being driven by Pacific islands’ vulnerability and foreign partners’ desire to grow or maintain region-shaping influence. Competition is not just occurring in the security space, but across economic partnerships, infrastructure …
Patrol boats, infrastructure, training and other security supports given to Pacific island countries aren’t entirely gifts. The givers are hoping for something in return, even if they don’t say so. Many partners seek to provide …
Vanuatu and Australia are poised to sign a reshaped and reformed broader strategic agreement in September that will supersede the stalled 2022 bilateral security agreement. In addition to boosting Vanuatu’s security sector, the new agreement—worth …
The signing of the Falepili Union Treaty in 2023 marked an unprecedented level of commitment and security unity between Australia and Tuvalu. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as ‘the most significant agreement between …
Tonga’s unique political structure helps ensure its foreign partnerships are among the region’s most stable. King Tupou VI is ultimately responsible for Tonga’s agreements and foreign partnerships and his son, Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala, is …
Somewhere in Solomon Islands lies a security agreement with China that has never been made public, despite assurances from the government of greater transparency. Even today, almost three years after its signing, the agreement still …
Samoa’s election at the end of August may be seen as an opportunity for foreign partners to deepen engagement and offer new avenues of support. With robust democratic institutions and strong cultural ties to its …
Amid rising strategic competition, the pursuit of a security treaty and a long-standing shared history have made Australia the security partner of choice for Papua New Guinea. PNG formally remains a ‘friend to all, enemy …
At a time when many Pacific leaders are expressing concerns about the impacts of geopolitical competition in their respective countries and the region, the government of Nauru, led by President David Adeang, has opted to …
Concern around Kiribati’s security partnership with China has been growing since its switch in diplomatic recognition from Taiwan back to the People’s Republic of China in 2019. President Taneti Maamau’s lack of public consultation on …