Pacific Ocean

List of Pacific Ocean articles

U.S. President Joe Biden hosts leaders for a U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House in Washington, D.C.
U.S. President Joe Biden hosts leaders for a U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Government Shutdown Threatens Key U.S. Initiative in Pacific

Chaos in Congress jeopardizes Biden’s efforts to re-up ties with Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau speaks into a microphone while standing at a podium in front of the flags of Vanuatu and the European Union.
Vanuatu Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau speaks into a microphone while standing at a podium in front of the flags of Vanuatu and the European Union.
People wave Chinese and Sri Lankan flags on sticks as they welcome China's space-tracking ship Yuanwang-5, seen in the background with lines of people standing along the top deck, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
People wave Chinese and Sri Lankan flags on sticks as they welcome China's space-tracking ship Yuanwang-5, seen in the background with lines of people standing along the top deck, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinean Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands as Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape looks on after the two countries signed a security agreement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on May 22.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinean Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands as Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape looks on after the two countries signed a security agreement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on May 22.

America Is Winning Against China in Oceania

There is less to Beijing’s security gains in the Pacific than meets the eye.

Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for group photos during the 15th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Summit, occurring on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.
Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for group photos during the 15th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Summit, occurring on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.

The Indo-Pacific Has Already Chosen Door No. 3

So-called fence-sitters are rejecting zero-sum geopolitical binaries in favor of multi-alignment.

U.S. President Joe Biden sits at a table next to a screen showing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual meeting at the White House.
U.S. President Joe Biden sits at a table next to a screen showing with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a virtual meeting at the White House.

How to Talk About China Without Talking About China

Team Biden’s split-screen messaging on China at home versus abroad may pay off.

Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Rankin takes part in an Australian-Indian naval exercise on Sept. 5, 2021 off Darwin, Australia.
Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Rankin takes part in an Australian-Indian naval exercise on Sept. 5, 2021 off Darwin, Australia.

Why China Should Worry About Asia’s Reaction to AUKUS

Even some non-aligned countries have cautiously signaled support.

China's ambassador to the Solomon Islands, Li Ming (R), and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (L) cut a ribbon during the opening ceremony of a China-funded national stadium complex in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
China's ambassador to the Solomon Islands, Li Ming (R), and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (L) cut a ribbon during the opening ceremony of a China-funded national stadium complex in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The 2023 Pacific Games Wrap Small Countries in Big-Power Struggles

A Solomon Islands-hosted sporting event has become part of a China-West tussle.

Sheep shearing in Australia in 1886.
Sheep shearing in Australia in 1886.

What a 19th-Century Shearer Can Teach Us About Korean-Australian Relations

People-to-people interactions are longer and deeper than the pair’s state relations.

Two men walk past a row of guards in uniform.
Two men walk past a row of guards in uniform.

Chinese Police Could Crush Solomon Islands Opposition

Government critics fear security pact consequences.

An aerial view of a strip of land in Funafuti, Tuvalu in Nov. 2019. The low-lying South Pacific island nation has been classified as ‘extremely vulnerable’ to climate change by the United Nations Development Programme.
An aerial view of a strip of land in Funafuti, Tuvalu in Nov. 2019. The low-lying South Pacific island nation has been classified as ‘extremely vulnerable’ to climate change by the United Nations Development Programme.

Climate Finance and Geostrategic Interests in the Pacific

Foreign investment in climate adaptation in the Pacific Islands will be key to sustainable development and security in Asia.

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) meets with Pacific Islands Forum PIF Secretary General Henry Puna.
Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) meets with Pacific Islands Forum PIF Secretary General Henry Puna.

China’s Pacific Push Is Backfiring

An aggressive diplomatic strategy hasn’t produced many results.

Kiribati’s seat sits empty at the Pacific Islands Forum.
Kiribati’s seat sits empty at the Pacific Islands Forum.

U.S. Raises the Ante in Pacific Islands After Chinese Swoop

But the Pacific Islands are loath to be pawns in a geopolitical game.

An aerial view of an island, beach, and cruise ship.
An aerial view of an island, beach, and cruise ship.
Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a signing ceremony in Apia, Samoa on May 28.
Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a signing ceremony in Apia, Samoa on May 28.
Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele (left) escorts Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center) on his arrival at the Honiara International Airport in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on May 25.
Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele (left) escorts Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (center) on his arrival at the Honiara International Airport in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on May 25.

Don’t Overreact to China’s Solomon Islands Plans

Naval power projection is a long way out for Beijing still.

A thin strip of island is surrounded by the sea.
A thin strip of island is surrounded by the sea.

China’s Rising Ambitions in the South Pacific

And what they mean for geopolitics—and for the region’s island democracies.

A man in a suit stands and points before colorful red flags.
A man in a suit stands and points before colorful red flags.
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