TAIWAN IN THE NEWS

17 September 2018

Taiwan featuring in recent Pacific news broadcasts.

Radio New Zealand news bulletins in recent days have significantly focused on Taiwanese affairs and none perhaps more so than the news bulletin broadcast on 12 September 2018.

Quote:

“Republican and Democratic US senators have introduced legislation to discourage Taiwan's few remaining allies from switching their allegiance to China.

“El Salvador became the third country this year to move towards Beijing.

“The legislation would authorise the State Department to downgrade US relations with any government that shifts away from Taiwan, and to suspend or alter US assistance.

“It also requires a US strategy to engage with governments to support Taiwan's diplomatic recognition or strengthen unofficial ties with Taiwan.

“Washington does not recognise Taipei diplomatically but considers it a staunch ally in the Pacific Rim.

“The Pacific island region is important for Taiwan with Palau, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu and Kiribati all recognising Taipei over Beijing.”

Other news items quoted:

 “Palau will start importing fresh produce from Taiwan for the first time next month, in a breakaway from its reliance on the United States.

“Island Times reported a group from a Taiwanese agricultural products supplier was in Palau last week to showcase products.

“Palau's Agriculture Director Fernando Sengebau said an agreement with the supplier was reached in August after working with Taiwan's ambassador to Palau, Harry Tseng.

“Most of Palau's agricultural products are imported from the US, but imports from Taiwan will take around 10 days less to arrive.”

Also, “Taiwan has set up a $US2 million medical fund to boost co-operation with countries in the Pacific Islands Forum.

“All Forum members can apply for funding to support medical teams from Taiwan travelling to their countries to provide medical services at Republic of China (Taiwan) embassies or representative offices.

“Of the 18 members of the Forum, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu are diplomatic allies of Taiwan.”

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

FOOD PRICES AND INFLATION RISE IN THE SI

SOARING FOOD PRICES DRIVE UP INFLATION IN HONIARA

“Sharply rising food prices in Honiara have pushed up Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation higher to 2.1 per cent in February 2018.

“This is the highest recorded since June 2016.

“CPI is a monthly indicator of the variation in prices for retail goods and other items.

“The basket of goods chosen represents the spending behaviour of the population of Honiara and the resulting CPI is used to calculate inflation.

“The 2.1 per cent increase from 191.1 the previous month to 195.1 was predominantly driven by price increases in the Food, and Transport and Communication sub-sections of the index,” Government Statistician (GS) Douglas Kimi said while releasing the official statistics produced by the National Statistics Office (NSO) on Wednesday 4 April for the month of February 2018.

“The Food sub-index increased during the month by 5.1% to 180.7.”

Source :  Solomon Islands Government Press Release – 9 April 2018.

CONSIDERING NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

 Solomon Islands Acting PM calls for tough intelligence network

Quoting the Solomon Star newspaper – 11 June 2018

“THERE is a need to strengthen national and regional intelligence networks in the region.

“That's according to the Acting Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare when speaking as the guest speaker at the opening of the two day South Pacific Intelligence Dialogue held in Honiara recently.

“The Finance Minister said it is an important matter of concern that all pacific island countries must work collaboratively towards.

“The successful implementation of any security decision rests on the value of intelligence received. Like they say, timely and quality intelligence provides better platform for states to make good decisions for the wellbeing of their country,” he said.

“However, the acting Prime Minister said he is pleased to note that our regional countries have been cooperating well on the matter concerned through the regional framework and bilateral cooperation.

“Pacific island governments and intelligence groups must continue to work with communities and security agencies to build networks and partnerships that will help address the threat to our own national security, he highlighted.”

“Our challenge is not made any easier by the diversity of our region and the never ending stretches of maritime boundaries and geographical features. This diversity makes our region more susceptible to crime syndicates and opportunists who are taking advantage to exploit our existence,” he said.

“But Mr Sogavare said our obligations remain the same and that is national security is the platform upon which our nations are built.

“Keeping our region safe is our core responsibility and that demands greater cooperation from all of us,” he said.


“He added that the emphasis on cooperation is a very important call and that is when it comes to security in the region the message that we must take in is we are not and should not be operating in isolation of each other.

“We literally become our brother’s keeper,” he said.”

Copyright:  Solomon Star

SOLOMONS: PM OPENS MALARIA MEETING

High Level Meeting on Malaria Elimination

Quoting the Solomon Star newspaper – 8 November 2018

“PRIME Minister Rick Hou has officially opened the high-level meeting on the Malaria Elimination Roadmap 2030 for Solomon Islands at the Mendana Hotel on Wednesday.

“Speaking at the occasion, Prime Minister Hou said 7th November 2018 will go down in the history of Solomon Islands, as the day when the Government and the people of this nation take the first step toward eliminating malaria by 2030.

“Each of you gathered here today (Wednesday) are part of this historic journey that we hope will deliver a malaria-free Solomon Islands 12 years from today,” he said on Wednesday.

“The Prime Minister recalled seven months ago in April this year in London when he and his two counterparts; Prime Ministers from Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu pledged their support to the Asia Pacific Leaders’ Malaria Alliance (APLMA’s) 2030 goal to eliminate malaria from the Asia - Pacific region.

“I am told these three nations account for 92% of all malaria cases in the Western Pacific Region. Consequently, Asia Pacific’s ability to achieve elimination will hinge on Melanesia,” he said.

“In Solomon Islands, we can be proud of our progress. With support from our partners, we have reduced the number of cases of malaria from a hardly believable peak of 450 per thousand population in 1993, to 80 per thousand population in 2017,” he said.

“The Prime Minister urged participants of the two day high-level summit to develop a roadmap that will see all the provinces of Solomon Islands achieve zero malaria transmission by 2030.”

Copyright @ 2018, Solomon Star news.