by Richard Butler | 20 Nov 2018 | News
Richard Butler| from RNZ | 20 November 2018
Tonga and Vanuatu have signed up to China’s Belt and Road initiative.
The announcements came on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea last week.
Tonga’s memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road was followed by a reprieve of the country’s debt payments owed to China.
Lopeti Senituli, a political adviser to Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, told Reuters the loan payments had been deferred for five years.
Meanwhile, Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 17 Nov 2018 | News
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of the Federated States of Micronesia Peter Christian, Port Moresby, PNG, November 16, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
Richard Butler | Xinhua | 17 Nov 2018
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the leaders of seven Pacific island countries respectively in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on Friday.
The countries are the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Cook Islands, Tonga, Niue and Fiji, which have established diplomatic Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 09 Nov 2018 | News
Richard Butler | CNN | 9 Nov 2018
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands at a news conference at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing Thursday.
Dr. John Lee is senior fellow at the Hudson Institute (Washington) and United States Studies Centre (Sydney), and an adjunct professor at the University of Sydney. From 2016 until April 2018 he was senior national security adviser to the Australian foreign minister and also served as Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 30 Oct 2018 | News
Richard Butler | HydroWorld.com | 30 Oct 2018
The government of Vanuatu and the Asian Development Bank have chosen Stantec to be design supervision consultant for the Vanuatu Energy Access Project, which includes the 400-kW Brenwe Hydropower Plant.
The project, on the island of Malekula, also includes grid extensions across Espiritu Santo and Malekula.
The completed project will displace about 90% of the diesel energy currently used as a power source for Malekula. Only 33% of the citizens Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 10 Oct 2018 | News
Richard Butler | Cointelegraph.com | 10 Oct 2018
The government of Malta has agreed to assist the Republic of Vanuatu in forming blockchain regulations.
The Vanuatu Daily Post reported that Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vanuatu, attended Malta’s inaugural DELTA Summit to request assistance from the Maltese government in forming blockchain legislation upon instructions from the Council of Ministers (COM).
During the summit, Regenvanu was able to meet both Dr. Joseph Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 25 Sep 2018 | News
Vanuatu parliament building in the capital Port Vila. Photo: RNZI/ Walter Zweifel
Richard Butler | RNZ News | 25 Sept 2018
The Vanuatu goverment is working towards setting up its first Department of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Daily Post newspaper said Vanuatu was one of the first countries in the world to set up a Ministry of Climate Change, which is being followed by a Department of Climate Change.
The ministry's Silas Tigona said the new department would mean Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 22 Sep 2018 | News
Vanuatu PM hails bilateral ties with China
Richard Butler | Xinhua | 22 Sept 2018
Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has hailed the island nation's good relationship with China, saying that China-Vanuatu relations will continue to grow from strength to strength.
Speaking at a reception held on Friday night in the Vanuatu capital city of Port Vila by the Chinese embassy on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Salwai said Vanuatu-China Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 19 Sep 2018 | News
Richard Butler | Loopvanuatu.com | 19 Sept 2018
Submarine Cable owner and operator Interchange Limited has delivered a 42% reduction off the regulated wholesale pricing of the Submarine Cable to Telecom Vanuatu Ltd (TVL) and Digicel (Vanuatu) Ltd as of 1 September 2018.
The reduction in pricing comes as a result of a commercial deal between the Vanuatu Telecom Providers and Interchange in order for Interchange to begin works on the second cable connecting Port Vila, Santo and Solomon Read more [...]
by Richard Butler | 27 Aug 2018 | News
Richard Butler | Daily Post | 27 Aug 2018
The Government and its partners in the Vanuatu Aviation Investment Project (VAIP) are committed to providing regular updates about construction works at the country’s three main airports.
At Bauerfield, the contractors China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation JV have made great progress in establishing the laydown and storage facility and are continuing to undergo calibration and equipment checks.
So far, they have achieved 100% of Read more [...]
