Marape to attend upcoming BRI Forum
The third global forum for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will be held in the coming weeks in Beijing. Several heads of state and government leaders will attend, including Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea.
Marape has told the media that he expects to see several initiatives progress during his visit to China. Among them is preliminary work ahead of a possible free trade agreement. It is also expected that PNG’s membership of the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be formalised.
Marape has said that he sees the primary focus of his engagements with President Xi and other Chinese officials as being economic development. In particular, he aims to focus on attracting investment in key sectors, such as fisheries and agriculture. He has also referenced security cooperation as a topic for discussion during the high-level meetings.
Compact negotiations caught up in US political chaos
Even though a government shutdown was averted at the eleventh hour in Washington there is still uncertainty as to the future of the funding arrangements between the USA and Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), and Palau.
In relation to RMI, the negotiators have yet to get to the stage of being able to sign off on an intention to renew the Compact funding arrangements. This means it is more and more likely that RMI will need to draw down from its Trust Fund to cover budget expenditure when the Compact ends.
Recent reporting indicates that legal concerns emanating from the State Department have contributed to the delays in getting the RMI agreement across the line. It has been alleged that the State Department is refusing to allow a US$700m trust fund to be designated for compensation payments to Marshallese people affected by nuclear testing.
Other Pacific News:
In Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai has been elected as Prime Minister. He is the third person to hold that office within the space of a month. Whilst he is seen as an excellent builder and manager of consensus, it is likely that political instability will continue.
Hundreds of Pacific tourists have been caught up in the violence between Israel and Hamas having travelled there to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. They are reported to be safe, although getting out of the country is proving a challenge for some.
The Pacific Islands Forum Trade Ministers met recently in Fiji. The Ministers discussed a range of topics, including how the region can improve connectivity to develop value chains. A regional strategy for labour mobility was also a priority for this meeting.
Pacific leaders spoke out ahead of the Voice referendum to be held in Australia. The Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, has said that he believes a ‘Yes’ vote will enhance Australia’s position on the world stage.
Tuvalu has a new Constitution which came into effect on October 3rd. This new Constitution enshrines Tuvalu as a Christian country and recognises the Falaekaupule – councils of elders – as the source of traditional authority.
Tess Newton Cain is a Senior Research Fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and project lead for the Griffith Pacific Hub.
