Pacific Islands

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, center, welcomes Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to Beijing in 2016. Accusations of espionage and political meddling have brought ties to their "lowest level."
International relations

China interfered in Australian politics -- secret probe

Investigation ordered by Turnbull revealed decade-long infiltration campaign

29 May 2018
The joint venture between two major Japanese power providers has invested in renewable-energy projects abroad, such as this Indian solar farm. (Photo courtesy of JERA)
29 May 2018
A woman browses for wine in China's Jiangsu Province. Australian wine producers look to increase exports to China after Beijing raised tariffs on U.S. vintages.
Trade war

Australia faces a double-edged sword amid US-China trade standoff

Wine exports set to flow, but iron ore and pork sectors wary of rising tensions

27 May 2018
Stream article image
International relations

Protectionism left out of APEC trade ministers' statement

Members call for 'removal of market-distorting subsidies'

26 May 2018
Military personnel take part in the Locked Shields 2018 cyberdefense exercise in Tallinn, Estonia, in April. (Photo courtesy of CCDCOE)
International relations

Big three cyberthreats bring Asia-Pacific and NATO allies closer

Russian, Chinese and North Korean hackers spur global countermeasures

24 May 2018
Australian cricket player Steve Smith, left, speaks to the press at Sydney International Airport on March 29 to address alleged ball-tampering in a match in South Africa.
Tea Leaves

Australians realize their image is just not cricket

Sports scandal batters national pride in 'fair play'

24 May 2018
Ayala's entry into the Australian energy market moves the conglomerate closer to its goal of 2,000mwh of generating capacity by 2020. (Photo by Masayuki Kozono)
Companies

Ayala enters Australia energy market with $30m venture stake

Philippine conglomerate expands power portfolio with 50% share of UPC Renewables

23 May 2018
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, called on Australia to take a friendlier outlook on China after meeting with counterpart Julie Bishop on Monday.
International relations

China hits back as Australia alleges domestic meddling

Foreign infrastructure investment down under faces national security restrictions

23 May 2018
Japanese Prime Minister greets his Samoan counterpart Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi at a two-day summit in the northern Japanese city of Iwaki on May 18-19. The Pacific Island nation is one of several that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing rather then Taipei.
International relations

Taiwan looks to Japan to protect its Pacific interests

Tokyo walks fine line in struggle for influence between Beijing and Taipei

22 May 2018
New homes line a street in the Sydney suburb of Moorebank. Inflows of foreign money contributed to Australian cities' torrid housing price inflation.
Property

Australia tames home prices by squeezing foreign buyers

Sydney's overheated market cools as Chinese investment drops off

22 May 2018
British Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland has been gathering information on North Korean smugglers in waters near Japan since early May.
International relations

Japan gains help in crackdown on North Korean smugglers at sea

Australia, Canada and UK join surveillance of ship-to-ship transfers

22 May 2018
Engineers use a specialized vessel to lay down an undersea cable. (Photo courtesy of NEC)
Business trends

Google, Facebook and Amazon drive push for deep-sea cables in Asia

Construction to climb 30% in region as tech giants enter the fray

21 May 2018
Sydney Opera House lit for the Vivid festival in 2017 (Photo by Ron Gluckman)
Life

Vivid festival celebrates reinvented Sydney

Lighting extravaganza draws top musicians amid surge in hotel investment

19 May 2018
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, center left and right. Leaders from Pacific Island nations have gathered in Japan for a summit held every three years. (Pool photo)
International relations

Japan enlists Pacific Islands for help on North Korea

Abe seeks cooperation on stopping smuggling ships and curbing China's influence

19 May 2018
Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. says the island nation will under no circumstances cut ties with Taiwan on his watch.
International relations

Taiwan relations unchanged despite Chinese pressure: Palau president

The island duo share values and principles, Tommy Remengesau says

18 May 2018
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered a review on allowing dual citizenship in a crisis that has brought down more than a dozen parliamentarians.
Politics

Referendum proposed in Australian lawmakers' citizenship crisis

Over a dozen parliamentarians have been brought down by constitution barring dual status

17 May 2018
East Timor independence icon and former Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao appears at his National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction party headquarters shortly after voting closed. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

East Timor hero Gusmao unseats government in election

Southeast Asian nation looks for stability after year under minority coalition

14 May 2018
Voters queue at a polling station in Dili several hours after the 7 a.m. start of voting in the May 12 parliamentary elections. (Photo by Simon Roughneen)
Politics

East Timor votes in second general election in 10 months

PM of short-lived previous government confident; voters hope for stability

12 May 2018
East Timorese are set to vote in parliamentary elections on May 12.
International relations

East Timor heads for election after bad-tempered campaign

Vote comes after landmark maritime boundary deal with Australia

10 May 2018
With no brands of Japanese rice that sell for 300 yen or less per kilogram, one Japanese supermarket chain has turned to Australian rice.
Business trends

Japan's price-conscious consumers turn to foreign rice

Australian and other imports find their way into homes and restaurants

7 May 2018
A racehorse statue adorns the Wine Country Race Club track at Cessnock in Australian state of New South Wales. (Photo by Geoff Hiscock)
Life

Australia's racehorse owners chase a million-dollar dream

World champion mare Winx gallops into big lead in all-time winnings

29 April 2018
Ministers from the 16 negotiating members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership meet in Manila, Philippines in September 2017. The path to an agreement remains fraught.
Economy

Clashing visions keep sweeping trade pact elusive for Southeast Asia

Countries advocate alternatives as protectionist and free-trade camps remain deadlocked

26 April 2018
AMP, an Australian financial services company, was found to have charged clients for services it never provided and then interfered with an investigation.
Economy

Failings at Australia banks included charging the dead

Spreading scandals lead government official to suggest jailing executives

26 April 2018
Getting U.S. President Donald Trump to listen is the right step toward averting fallouts from his trade war with China.
Opinion

Asia must start talking trade with Trump

Other countries cannot just sit out a US-China economic war

24 April 2018
Officials are worried the New Zealand Stock Exchange is losing the nation's best companies to the ASX.
Equities

New Zealand stock market seeks rejuvenation

Exchange aims to tackle IPO drought and rise of off-market trading

20 April 2018