New Zealand

March 22, 2023 | Cleo Paskal, Col. Grant Newsham

Beijing’s Subversive Political Warfare in the Pacific—and the Need for Greater Engagement by the United States and Taiwan

Honduras has said it intends to shift diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. We know this story: with the exception of 2007, when St. Lucia switched from Beijing to Taipei, the trend has run in this...

February 26, 2023 | Cleo Paskal |

Win for China in its plan to turn Pacific Islands into Hong Kong

Leaders who are standing up to China are deeply shaken by what happened to Suidani and the resounding quiet from the international community that claims to back democracy. Koror, Palau: If you thought...

February 5, 2023 | Cleo Paskal |

The U.S. is blocked from ports in PRC-Influenced Solomons, Vanuatu

PRC-linked actors attempting to politically take out Premier Daniel Suidani of Malaita.

December 31, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

From G-20 to the Pacific Islands, India offers new hope

One of the most important external examples of the potential for India’s realignment of global leadership will be PM Modi’s ground-breaking trip to Papua New Guinea (PNG), reported to take place in the first half of 2023.

October 2, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

US moves on Pacific islands, but barely

The last two weeks have seen some of the most frantic US activity related to the Pacific Islands since the end of World War II. A lot happened. It’s like a plane suddenly dropped a cargo of randomly-sized boulders into a lake with varied depths. Some initiatives will sink, others may become essential islands of security in rough weather, some might inadvertently hit and sink the boats of allies.

August 13, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

Right to vote being snatched from Solomon Islanders by PRC-backed PM

Sogavare has introduced a Bill to postpone elections. Reaction on the ground is seething. Likely Sogavare and his backers in Beijing don’t mind violence so they can activate the China security deal.

August 4, 2022 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Varsha Koduvayur, Samuel Hodgson

Profit of Hate: How Domestic Extremists Are Embracing Cryptocurrency

Enticed by the relative anonymity of cryptocurrency and the need to circumvent a denial of service, domestic extremists have been able to raise millions.

July 16, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

The rodeo that was the Pacific Islands Forum meeting

Fiji’s capital Suva is turning into Vienna in the 1930s, when ‘diplomats’ from around the world spied on each other and sent cables home about who was sleeping with whom. Meanwhile, across the border, the war machine was roaring into life.

June 5, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

U.S. Should FACE Facts in the Pacific

The United States needs an engagement policy with the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) that is Flexible, Appropriate, Coordinated and Effective (FACE). FLEXIBLE It needs to show flexibility when working...

June 4, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

China winning entropic warfare in Pacific Islands

We’ve seen Chinese entropic warfare in various stages in Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and elsewhere. And the contagion seems to be spreading in the Pacific.

May 28, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

China launches empire building exercise in Pacific theatre

President Panuelo: ‘Chinese control over our security space, aside from impacts on our sovereignty, increases the chances of China getting into conflict with Australia, Japan, US and New Zealand, on the day when Beijing decides to invade Taiwan

May 24, 2022 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Madison Urban, Matt Chauvin

White Supremacists Sacralize Mass Attackers to Encourage More Violence

Only through understanding and taking seriously the power of this online ecosystem to produce individuals like Payton Gendron can we begin to disrupt these repeating cycles of mass attack

April 29, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

China’s Agreement with Solomon Islands & Implications for Security in the Pacific

An Interview with Cleo Paskal

April 21, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

Economic and human security in the Indo-Pacific

China has established a dominant presence in the Indo-Pacific through exploitative economic engagements. This has destabilised smaller nations in the region and made them dependent on Chinese support. For a free and open Indo-Pacific, India must press its advantage in human and economic capacity building.

April 16, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

White House finally awakens to PRC capture of Solomon Islands

Free and fair election could result in a new government that not only abrogates the security deal but switches back to Taiwan. That would be a serious loss of face for Xi Jinping, giving ammunition to his domestic enemies, and could lead to a politically weakened Sogavare being more exposed to prosecution.

April 2, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

China moves frontline to Solomons, locals fight back

Alexandria, VA: This is Beijing’s “Oh yeah? So what are you gonna do about it?” moment. With the confirmation of a security agreement between China and Solomon Islands—a country approximately 1200...

April 1, 2022 | Anthony Ruggiero, Behnam Ben Taleblu

North Korea Looks to Capitalize on Washington’s Attention Deficit

A serious problem does not go away if you ignore it.

January 23, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

Eyewitness: Volcano, tsunami devastate Tonga, help urgently needed

World Exclusive: ‘One could see the huge smoke column from the volcano shoot straight up from the horizon into the sky, until you couldn’t see it anymore. It’s almost as if it was erupting into space itself.’

January 15, 2022 | Cleo Paskal |

‘U.S. needs to fix weaknesses in its Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China’

‘The Chinese are setting up behind US First Island Chain defenses and making it harder for the Marines to operate. It’s never good to have the enemy set up in your rear. Eventually, one of the Pacific...

December 21, 2021 | Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Varsha Koduvayur

America Is Losing the Ball on White Supremacist Terror Groups

Other countries are taking the lead in cracking down on U.S.-based groups.