The Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation, a part of the New Hebrides archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, located some 1,750 km from Australia’s East coast. Before gaining its independence in July 1980, New Hebrides (the name of the nation before it became Vanuatu) was a colony of both Britain and France. Even after Vanuatu…
Sofia Pale
New Zealand Working to Stabilize Rocky Relations with China
On March 30, 2019, New Zealand’s Te Papa National Museum in the capital city Wellington hosted the Grand Opening of the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism. Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang attended the ceremony along with New Zealand’s Minister of Tourism Kelvin Davis…
The Deadlock between China and the West is taking its Toll on New Zealand’s Economy
Throughout 2018, the trade war mounted between China and the US. This is part of a larger standoff between China and the English-speaking world led by America, which is not only putting obvious economic interests at stake, but is also creating security issues…
Will France pay for its nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean?
French Polynesia comprises a multitude of islands in the center of the Pacific Ocean, which are a part of France. The biggest and the most famous of these is the island of Tahiti. As in other “overseas” territories that remain under France’s dominion since colonial times, there is a powerful movement for independence in French Polynesia. Islanders take…
Indecisive Victory: How Long Will New Caledonia Remain a French Territory?
New Caledonia is one of the last territories in the Pacific region to remain in France’s possession after decolonization. Over the last decades, the mood for secession has been strong in New Caledonia, and its independence movement has seen some success. The French government is trying to hang…
China in South Pacific Region: One Step Away from Absolute Power
The South Pacific region, stretching from the shores of Australia to South America and encompassing more than 30,000 islands, has felt China’s growing influenced since 2000s. By 2018, it had grown so strong that it became a threat to Australia’s strategic security. It should be…
Russia’s Interests in Oceania
In the past years, Russia’s foreign policy has been focused on expanding influence in the most remote corners of the planet. In particular, the Russian party has successful relations with the small island states of Oceania located in the South Pacific and with Fiji in particular. Until recently, in the mid-2000s…
The Great Degeneration of the West: Where Do Wrong Decisions Lead?
The processes taking place in the US and the European countries over the past 30 years have led to the economic, cultural and ideological decline of the West. It is now being pushed back by the central…
Trump Sets Oceania Alight
With the coming to power of the new US president Donald Trump, the tiny countries of Oceania, which have always been in dire need of additional funding, have made attempts to find out how far his pre-election slogan “Let’s make America great again!” will extend. Specifically, whether America…
The New Silk Road: a Wealth of Opportunities for Nepal
Nepal is a small country in the Himalayas squeezed between India and China. These two Asian giants have long been vying for Nepal. Though, traditionally, India was considered Nepal’s key partner, lately China has been gaining…
Chinese Businessmen are Now Investing Heavily in Lake Baikal
As you may know, tourism is an incredibly profitable sector of any economy. It is also an important sphere of international relations that leads to ever growing trust and mutual understanding between peoples…
‘Yuan-ization’ of the World is Under Full Steam Now
On October 1, 2016 China’s yuan has been officially accepted in the list of the IMF’s reserve currency with a share of 10.93%, taking third place after US dollar (41.73%) and euro (30.93%). This means that all central banks of…