Australia's new prime minister and Indonesia's president rode bamboo bicycles together on Monday as they held talks to boost ties, as Canberra embarks on a diplomatic charm offensive aimed at countering China's growing assertiveness in the region.Anthony Albanese hailed relations with Indonesia and vowed to strengthen them on his first bilateral trip since being elected last month, heading to Southeast Asia's biggest economy in what has become a traditional tour for new Au

China's Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi has been on a marathon tour across the Pacific Islands – his visit was a sign of Beijing's willingness to close a sweeping trade and security deal with 10 countries in the region.The ambitious deal – which covered a wide range of issues, from cybersecurity to a Chinese-funded police training academy and setting up more Chinese cultural links across the Pacific nations – was meant to tie the region much closer to Beijing.But it was revealed th

Wang Yi urges Pacific region not to be ‘too anxious’ about China’s aims after failing to agree on a sweeping security deal.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with leaders and top officials from 10 Pacific Island states Monday, part of a regional diplomatic blitz that has stirred deep Western concern.The virtual summit is expected to discuss leaked proposals for China to radically increase its involvement in the security, economy and politics of the South Pacific.Wang is in the Fijian capital Suva, where he will co-host a virtual meeting with regional foreign ministers – many of whom are also leaders of

Samoa signed a bilateral agreement with China on Saturday, promising "greater collaboration" as Beijing's foreign minister continues a tour of the South Pacific that has sparked concern among Western allies.The deal's details are unclear, coming midway through a Chinese delegation's eight-nation trip – but an earlier leaked draft agreement sent to several Pacific countries outlined plans to expand security and economic engagement.The mission has prompted Western leade

Leaders of Japan, India, Australia and the United States (US) warned Tuesday against attempts to "change the status quo by force" as concerns grow about whether China could invade self-ruled Taiwan.A joint statement by the so-called Quad bloc avoided any direct mention of China's growing military power in the region, but left little doubt about where its concerns lie.The carefully worded document also made reference to the conflict in Ukraine, but without offering any joint pos

President Joe Biden vowed Monday that United States (US) forces would defend Taiwan militarily if China attempted to take control of the island by force, prompting Beijing to warn that America was "playing with fire."Speaking in Tokyo, Biden compared China's threat to self-ruled Taiwan to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, delivering his strongest remarks to date on the issue amid rising tensions over Beijing's growing economic and military power.Asked if Washington was will

Centre-left leader Anthony Albanese claimed victory in Australia's general election Saturday, as voters angered by climate inaction pulled the plug on a decade of conservative rule."The Australian people have voted for change" said the 59-year-old Labor leader, promising a less pugilistic form of leadership and a raft of reforms to make the country fairer and greener.With almost two-thirds of the votes counted, Albanese was set to lead the largest party in parliament, but had y

As southern Australia continues to recover from the destruction of the 2019-2020 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, towns in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) have just experienced devastating floods.Some towns have even seen ‘once in 100-year’ floods occur twice in several weeks. In Lismore, an NSW town of nearly 30,000 people, the river rose more than 14 metres in late February, breaching the town’s levees and inundating people’s homes and businesses.

Australia would work with its allies to prevent China setting up a military base in the Solomon Islands, Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed Sunday during a heated debate before 21 May elections.China's growing clout in the Pacific has become a hot political issue in Australia ahead of the polls, following Beijing's announcement last month that it had signed a security pact with the Solomons.The China-Solomons deal has not been publicly released but a leaked draft alarmed countries