PRC / CCP Influence
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Conflicts - Tensions
Philippines to investigate possible election interference by Chinese government
Reuters Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into allegations of foreign interference in the May 2025 midterm national and local elections after a top security official warned that Chinese government-sponsored groups may be attempting to influence the outcomes. “This is truly alarming,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said. “We will conduct a thorough investigation so we can…
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Features
Sharing Environmental Intelligence
FORUM Staff Kiribati’s plans for an improved pier on Kanton Island were at a standstill. Australia had committed to completing the project, but outdated information about the underwater topography surrounding the remote atoll had stymied the delivery of materials for planned upgrades. Crews needed underwater terrain mapping and information about ocean depth before it was safe for mariners to bring…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Illegal Catch
FORUM Staff The Marshall Islands advanced the battle against illegal fishing in June 2024 when the Pacific island nation of 82,000 people officially became a party to the international contract known as the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA). The treaty, conceived and implemented by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), sets standards for regulating fishing vessels entering foreign…
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Across The Region
Malaysia won’t halt South China Sea exploration despite CCP protests, leader says
Malaysia will not stop its oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea despite Beijing’s unfounded claims that the Southeast Asian nation was infringing on its territory. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the explorations are within the nation’s territory and not intended to be provocative or hostile. “Of course, we will have to operate in our waters and…
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Across The Region
Australia, Japan boost defense ties in face of CCP incursions
Australia and Japan are increasing joint defense exercises amid shared concerns over the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) incursions into Japanese airspace and territorial waters. During their September 2024 summit in Queenscliff, Australia, the nations’ defense and foreign ministers discussed greater security cooperation, support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and unease about the CCP’s increasingly aggressive territorial claims…
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