Australia & Pacifics

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — An acrimonious meeting of world leaders in Papua New Guinea failed to agree Sunday on a final communique, highlighting widening divisions between global powers China and the U.S.

The 21 nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby struggled to bridge differences on the role of the World Trade Organization, which governs international trade, officials said. A statement was to be issued instead by the meeting’s chair, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

17 Nov 2018; AFP: Protectionist actions are short-sighted and doomed to fail, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Saturday ahead of an APEC summit at which US-China trade tensions are likely to take centre stage.

"Attempts to erect barriers and cut close economic ties work against the laws of economics and the trends of history. This is a short-sighted approach and it is doomed to failure," Xi told business leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

17 Nov 2018; AFP: China and the US crossed swords Saturday ahead of an APEC summit, duelling over protectionism, trade tariffs and "chequebook diplomacy" as they laid out sharply contrasting visions for the Pacific Rim region.

In combative back-to-back speeches at a business forum held on a hulking cruise ship moored in Port Moresby, Xi Jinping and US Vice-President Mike Pence pulled few punches.

The feisty exchanges laid the ground for what could be a fiery encounter between the Chinese leader and President Donald Trump at next month's G20 in Argentina.

Port Moresby; 12 Nov 2018; AFP: Papua New Guinea has deployed a multi-national force of warships, fighter jets and elite counter-terrorism troops to protect world leaders attending a major summit in its crime-plagued capital this week.

About 4,000 military personnel, around half of them foreign, will work with hundreds of police to patrol Port Moresby for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum from Saturday, which will attract representatives from 21 nations.

7 Nov 2018; AFP: A huge runaway train laden with iron ore had to be derailed remotely after speeding through the Australian outback for almost an hour.

The 268-wagon train started on its solo journey when the driver got down from his cab to carry out an inspection, and was soon hurtling along at up to 110 kilometres (68 miles) per hour.

Mining giant BHP, which owns the four-locomotive train, decided to derail before it reached the town of Port Hedland near its Western Australia Pilbara site, and flicked the points.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian government on Wednesday warned it intends to block a Hong Kong and Chinese consortium’s 13 billion Australian dollar ($9 billion) takeover bid for an energy infrastructure company because it conflicts with Australia’s national interest.

The CK Consortium needed approval of Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board to take over APA Group, which owns more than 43,700 kilometers (27,100 miles) of gas pipeline in Australia.

4 Nov 2018; DW: Early results suggest voters on the Pacific islands have rejected an independence referendum. Opponents of independence pointed to the territory's economic reliance on France.

Voters on the Pacific islands of New Caledonia voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining part of France on Sunday, according to partial results of an independence referendum. 

Sydney, Nov 1 (AFP) China's rising and "unprecedented influence" in the Indo-Pacific region will challenge American interests, but confrontation must not define relations between the two powers, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned Thursday.

In his first major foreign policy speech, Morrison tried to tread a careful line between Australia's alliance with the United States and engaging a rapidly and evermore assertive China.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia aims to remove all asylum seeker children from Nauru within two months as concerns escalate about their deteriorating health after languishing on the tiny Pacific atoll nation for up to five years.

But Cabinet ministers said Thursday the government is maintaining its much-criticized policy of sending all asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat to immigration camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Refugee advocates welcomed the change for children, 46 of whom were born in Nauru.

CANBERRA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australia's prime minister has rejected calls from conservative colleagues to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

Speaking ahead of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, Prime Minister Scott Morrison repeated his previous claim that Australia would meet its emissions reduction target "at a canter."

Australia has committed to reducing its emissions by 26 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.