By providing a comparative analysis of these two island regions, the authors aim to further understanding of Chinese aid in the Pacific and shed light on the current debates on Chinese aid modalities, motives and impact.

Efforts are being made to use information and communications technologies to improve accountability in providing refugee aid. This paper outlines the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies, such as machine learning and blockchain, in the refugee system.

Business Link Pacific (BLP) is a multi-country small-to-medium enterprise (SME) development activity funded by MFAT at NZD$10m over five years. The goal is to build the market for business advisory services in participating Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and to enable SMEs to access services that will help them to grow.

Australia’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper continues to provide the policy framework for the aid program. Australia’s Pacific ‘step-up’, one of the priority initiatives under this framework, gathered momentum in 2018 with a range of new government commitments, including strengthened security cooperation and increased financing for infrastructure.

Australia’s new Pacific policy is set in place, no matter which side wins the May 18 election. On Pacific policy, Labor and Liberal entered the election with a unity ticket that ASPI calls the Pacific pivot. In this report, ASPI examines the origins and aspirations of the policy.