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China and Australia’s dueling Pacific tours make final stops

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, and East Timorese Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak applaud during their meeting in Dili, East Timor, Friday, June 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Lorenio Do Rosario Pereira)

In this photo supplied by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, left, poses for a photo with the King of Tonga, Tupou VI in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Friday, June 3, 2022. (Marian Kupu/Australian Department of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, stands on the stage with his East Timorese counterpart Adaljiza Magno as they pose for photographers during their meeting in Dili, East Timor, Friday, June 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Lorenio Do Rosario Pereira)

In this photo supplied by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, right, shakes hands with Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa in Apia, Samoa, Thursday, June 2, 2022. (Australian Department of Foreign Affairs via AP)

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DILI, East Timor (AP) — The foreign ministers of Australia and China were both making their final stops Friday on what has become an island-hopping diplomatic duel in the South Pacific.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Tonga where she met with Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku and other officials including King Tupou VI. Her visit came just three days after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi held similar meetings in Tonga.

Wong and the officials talked about climate change and rebuilding efforts after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit in January. Also on the agenda was the contentious issue of regional security.

“We are not a government or a country that wants to come in and tell you what you should do,” Wong said at a news conference in the capital, Nuku’alofa.

She said Australia considered itself part of the Pacific family.

“We want regional security to be dealt with, to be the responsibility of the Pacific family,” Wong said. “And we will continue to engage with our friends, our partners in the region.”

Hu’akavameiliku said Tonga was honored that Wong had decided to visit just two weeks after taking office, following an election in Australia.

“This is a clear sign of the Australian government’s strong commitment to strengthening our bilateral relations and engagement with our region,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, Wang met in Papua New Guinea with Prime Minister James Marape and other officials before flying Friday afternoon to East Timor, the final stop on his eight-nation tour of the region and the first outside of the South Pacific. Wang is due to leave East Timor on Saturday.

Wang met his East Timorese counterpart Adaljiza Magno shortly after arriving in Dili, the capital.

“The two countries have enjoyed strong relations over the past 20 years,” Magno said, adding that her government was grateful for China’s assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid flooding last year that left dozens of people in Dili dead.

The two top diplomats signed agreements related to fisheries, water and sanitation. China also agreed to support the development of East Timor’s healthcare system, including by building hospitals and sending medical teams there. And China pledged to help support East Timor’s defense and education sectors.

During the visit, Wang held separate talks with East Timor’s Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak, who is looking to increase infrastructure investment from Australia, Japan and China.

Most government offices in the capital, including the presidential palace and the foreign and defense ministries, as well as major shopping centers, were built with Chinese investment. A commercial port built by a Chinese state-owned company is set to open later this year.

Before returning to Beijing on Saturday, Wang is scheduled to meet with East Timor’s newly elected President Jose Ramos-Horta and leaders of the country’s two largest political parties.

East Timor, Asia’s youngest country, just celebrated its 20th anniversary of independence from Indonesia, which invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975. Its transition to a democracy has been rocky, with leaders battling massive poverty, unemployment and corruption as the country continues to struggle with the legacy of its bloody independence battle and bitter factional politics that have occasionally erupted into violence. Its economy is reliant on dwindling offshore oil revenues.

Wang had hoped to ink an ambitious multilateral deal with 10 South Pacific nations this week covering everything from security to fisheries. He couldn’t find consensus on that deal but has been notching up smaller wins by signing bilateral agreements with many of the countries he’s been visiting.

The diplomatic push by China, especially around Pacific security, has caused deep concern among some of the island nations as well as farther afield in Canberra and Washington. Since news of the proposed deal emerged, Wong has made two trips to the Pacific to shore up support for Australia.

Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

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Western countries watch as China's foreign minister begins South Pacific tour

The Associated Press

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talk during a ceremony to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Solomon Islands and China at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sept. 21, 2019. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talk during a ceremony to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Solomon Islands and China at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Sept. 21, 2019.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a 20-strong delegation arrived in the Solomon Islands Thursday at the start of an eight-nation tour that comes amid growing concerns about Beijing's military and financial ambitions in the South Pacific region.

Australia was scrambling to counter the move by sending its own Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Fiji to shore up support in the Pacific. Wong has been on the job just five days following an Australian election and had just arrived back Wednesday night from a meeting in Tokyo.

"We need to respond to this because this is China seeking to increase its influence in the region of the world where Australia has been the security partner of choice since the Second World War," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Meanwhile, the Media Association of Solomon Islands was calling on its members to boycott a news conference being held in the capital, Honiara, by Wang and his counterpart from the Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele.

Leaked draft of an agreement between China and the Solomon Islands has U.S. concerned

That's because only selected media were invited to the event, and the schedule allowed for just a single question to be asked of Wang by China's state-owned broadcaster CCTV.

"Its a tough call to make regarding the media boycott for the press event on Thursday," wrote association president Georgina Kekea on Twitter. "Our protest is for our govt to see our disappointment. They have failed us & they failed to protect #democracy."

China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last month in a move that sent shock waves around the world.

That pact has raised fears that China could send troops to the island nation or even establish a military base there, not far from Australia. The Solomon Islands and China say there are no plans for a base.

A draft document obtained by The Associated Press shows that Wang is hoping to strike a deal with 10 small Pacific nations during his visit. The sweeping agreement covers everything from security to fisheries and is seen by one Pacific leader as an attempt by Beijing to wrest control of the region.

Wang is hoping the countries will endorse the pre-written agreement as part of a joint communique after a May 30 meeting in Fiji with the other foreign ministers.

During his 10-day visit, Wang is also planning to make stops in Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and East Timor.

• Solomon Islands

China’s foreign minister starts Pacific tour in the Solomon Islands

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — China ’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a 20-strong delegation arrived in the Solomon Islands on Thursday at the start of an eight-nation tour that comes amid growing concerns about Beijing’s military and financial ambitions in the South Pacific region.

Australia was scrambling to counter the move by sending its own foreign minister, Penny Wong, to Fiji to shore up support in the Pacific. Wong has been on the job just five days following an Australian election and had just arrived back Wednesday night from a meeting in Tokyo.

“We need to respond to this because this is China seeking to increase its influence in the region of the world where Australia has been the security partner of choice since the Second World War,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics 

Meanwhile, the Media Association of Solomon Islands was calling on its members to boycott a news conference being held in the capital, Honiara, by Wang and his counterpart from the Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele.

That’s because only selected media were invited to the event, and the schedule allowed for just a single question to be asked of Wang by China’s state-owned broadcaster CCTV.

“Its a tough call to make regarding the media boycott for the press event on Thursday,” association president Georgina Kekea wrote on Twitter . “Our protest is for our govt to see our disappointment. They have failed us & they failed to protect #democracy.”

China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last month in a move that sent shock waves around the world.

That pact has raised fears that China could send troops to the island nation or even establish a military base there, not far from Australia. The Solomon Islands and China say there are no plans for a base.

A draft document obtained by The Associated Press shows that Wang is hoping to strike a deal with 10 small Pacific nations during his visit. The sweeping agreement covers everything from security to fisheries.

NBC News has not seen the document and the Chinese government has not commented on its authenticity.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China and the countries of the South Pacific “are good friends and good partners pursuing common development on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.”

“I do not agree at all with the argument that cooperation between China and the South Pacific island countries will trigger a new Cold War,” he added.

During his 10-day visit, Wang Yi is also planning to make stops in Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga , Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and East Timor .

The Associated Press

Foreign Minister Penny Wong continues Pacific push with upcoming visit to Solomon Islands

Penny wong will make her first visits to new zealand and the solomon islands as foreign minister as australia continues to increase its focus on the pacific..

Penny Wong will visit Solomon Islands for the first time as foreign minister. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch

Solomon Islands concerned Australia is turning away from the Pacific to meet demand for agricultural workers

Chinese government insists it has 'no intention' to build military base in Solomon Islands

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China’s Pacific plan is ‘clear’ but so is Australia’s intention to be regional partner of choice, Penny Wong says

As China pursues Pacific-wide security pact, foreign minister says ‘after a lost decade we’ve got a lot of work to do to regain Australia’s position’

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Australia has responded to reports that China is pursuing a Pacific-wide security pact with almost a dozen nations, stating that while Beijing’s intentions were clear “so too are the intentions of the new Australian government” to be the partner of choice in the region.

China will seek a regional deal with 10 Pacific island nations covering policing, security and data communications cooperation when the foreign minister, Wang Yi, hosts a meeting in Fiji next week, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Australia’s new foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong , will travel to Fiji on Thursday in an early sign of her determination to deepen the relationship with Pacific countries.

“China has made its intentions clear [but] so too are the intentions of the new Australian government,” Wong said in a statement.

“We want to help build a stronger Pacific family. We want to bring new energy and more resources to the Pacific. And we want to make a uniquely Australian contribution including through our Pacific labour programs and new permanent migration opportunities.”

The Australian foreign minister said she would be a frequent visitor to the Pacific.

Wong earlier on Wednesday declared the incoming Labor government had a lot of work to do to recover Australia’s status as the partner of choice in the Pacific after a “lost decade” of Coalition rule.

Wong’s travel to Fiji coincides with an eight-country trip to the region by China’s foreign minister amid growing competition for influence in the Pacific. Australia’s new diplomatic offensive follows Wong’s participation in a meeting of the quadrilateral security dialogue in Tokyo.

During the trip back to Australia on Wednesday, Wong told travelling reporters: “Look, after a lost decade we’ve got a lot of work to do to regain Australia’s position as the partner of choice in the Pacific, in a region that’s less secure and more contested. But that work starts now.”

Multiple sources have told the Guardian that China’s proposed regional security deal had not been received well by Pacific leaders and was unlikely to be signed by all nations.

A senior diplomat in the region said some leaders had “big concerns” but “there has been a vacuum left in this region from traditional partners – they have to work extra hard to win back the hearts of Pacific people”.

The diplomat said the deal was not guaranteed. “We will work through our regional architecture to ensure security and stability of our region is maintained under international law.”

The Albanese government has signalled that a more ambitious climate policy will be a key plank in its strategy to ensure Australia is seen as “a generous, respectful and reliable” partner to Pacific countries.

Wong said the early visit, during her first week in office, demonstrated “the importance we place on our relationship with Fiji and on our Pacific engagement”.

“I will travel to Fiji to strengthen our Vuvale [family] partnership and to discuss how we can best secure our region and help build a stronger Pacific family,” she said in a statement.

“Australia will listen to our Pacific partners as we work together to face our shared challenges and achieve our shared goals – including tackling climate change, pandemic recovery, economic development and regional security.”

Wong will meet with Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, who told Albanese in a tweet after the election: “Of your many promises to support the Pacific, none is more welcome than your plan to put the climate first.”

Congratulations, @AlboMP ! Of your many promises to support the Pacific, none is more welcome than your plan to put the climate first –– our people's shared future depends on it. With Fiji’s borders open, we hope to host you soon! — Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) May 22, 2022

Wong’s schedule also includes a meeting with a group of female leaders ahead of next month’s Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders meeting.

She will meet the secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, and deliver a speech about “the new energy and commitments Australia is making to play our part in strengthening our Pacific family”.

While Fiji is the only country on the agenda for this first trip, it is understood Wong plans to travel widely in the Pacific in the lead-up to the Pacific Islands Forum in July.

During the election campaign, Wong characterised the signing of a security deal between China and Solomon Islands “on Scott Morrison’s watch” as the biggest Australian foreign policy failure in the Pacific since the second world war.

But China’s engagement in the region has seen an “uptick in tempo” , as it looks to cement relationships and sign a raft of economic, infrastructure and security deals.

China’s foreign minister is due to visit Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Fiji between 26 May and 4 June, on a tour of the region that has been labelled “extraordinary and unprecedented” by Pacific experts.

Guardian Australia has reported that Pacific journalists have raised serious concerns about secrecy surrounding his upcoming marathon tour.

Journalists seeking to cover the Solomon Islands leg of the tour for international outlets say they have been blocked from attending press events, while those journalists who have been allowed access are extremely limited in their ability to ask questions.

Labor’s election policy included an effort to “restore Australia’s place as first partner of choice for our Pacific family”. The package included a $525m increase in aid to the region over four years.

In an attempt to reach out to regional leaders, Wong recorded a video message shortly after being sworn in to office on Monday saying she looked forward to an early visit to the Pacific. In the video, Wong said the new Australian government would “listen because we care what the Pacific has to say”. She said the government had heard the message “that nothing is more central to the security and wellbeing of the Pacific than climate change”.

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Labor has pledged to increase Australia’s 2030 emission reduction target to 43% compared with 2005 levels, and will seek to jointly host a UN climate conference with Pacific countries. But regional leaders have previously indicated they would like to see Australia go further, including with curbs on coal and gas projects and fossil fuel exports .

The Pacific Elders Voice group said in a statement last month that growing military tension in the Pacific region “created by both China and the United States and its allies, including Australia, does little to address the real threat to the region caused by climate change”.

Australia in 2018 signed up to the Boe declaration , reaffirming climate change as “the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific” and committing to action to implement the Paris agreement.

But Bainimarama described Morrison’s approach during the PIF leaders’ retreat in Tuvalu in 2019 as “very insulting and condescending”. Climate policy was a flashpoint at that meeting.

Wong said she looked forward to sharing ideas “on how we seek to bring together Australia’s defence, strategic, diplomatic and economic capabilities to support our region’s priorities”.

- additional reporting Kate Lyons

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WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich prison term extended as he approaches a year behind bars

US journalist Evan Gershkovich has put on a defiant appearance in a Russian court where his pre-trial detention was extended, as Aussie leaders lend their support.

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A Moscow court has extended US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention until June 30, ensuring he will have spent more than one year behind bars.

Prosecutors accuse the Wall Street Journal reporter of espionage – the first such charge against a Western journalist in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.

The 32-year-old is being held in Moscow’s notoriously isolated Lefortovo prison and faces a maximum 20 years in jail if found guilty.

The Moscow courts service said it had “extended the term of detention of Evan Gershkovich until June 30, 2024”, following a hearing in the Russian capital.

Gershkovich, his employers and the White House all vehemently reject the accusation, which they say was fabricated.

Friday marks one year since Gershkovich’s surprise arrest by FSB counterintelligence agents in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

“This verdict to further prolong Evan’s detention feels particularly painful, as this week marks one year since Evan was arrested and wrongfully detained,” US ambassador Lynne Tracy said following the verdict.

“The accusations against Evan are categorically untrue. They are not a different interpretation of circumstances. They are fiction,” she added outside the court.

President Vladimir Putin said in February he would like to see Gershkovich released as part of a prisoner exchange.

In remarks to conservative American TV commentator Tucker Carlson, he said talks between Russia and the United States about a possible swap were ongoing.

The Russian leader made clear he wanted any deal to involve the release of a Russian jailed in Germany for killing a Chechen dissident.

AUSSIE LEADERS REACH OUT TO EVAN

It comes as calls for Mr Gershkovich’s release cross political and cultural divides, as Australians from all walks of life raise their voice over the injustice of his detention in Russia.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Whitlams frontman Tim Freedman have all reached out to the reporter as part of our Dear Evan campaign.

Ms Wong and Mr Abbott are not known for being a unity ticket on many issues, but they have both urged Mr Gershkovich to stay strong.

In her letter, Ms Wong said Mr Gershkovich’s detention was “baseless” and Australians commended his “bravery and resolve”.

“Your reporting, and that of the Wall Street Journal, has helped the world understand contemporary Russia, including the domestic and global implications of its illegal and immoral war in Ukraine,” she wrote.

“I wish you and your family courage and hope during this very challenging time.”

Mr Abbott struck a defiant note in his letter, saying Russia had become a “rogue state” under Vladimir Putin, and the charges against Mr Gershkovich were “simply laughable”.

Mr Gershkovich “should instantly be released because there was never any reason – other than the Putin tyranny’s desire to humiliate America – for his initial detention,” Mr Abbott said.

In his letter to Mr Gershkovich, Tim Freedman introduced himself as “a musician in Australia who has written a few protest songs over the years, but never have I had to suffer to do what I thought was right”.

He urged the detained writer to immerse himself in Russian literature while he was incarcerated, though suggested Dostoyevsky (who wrote the classic Crime and Punishment) “may seem a bit close to the bone at the moment”.

The Whitlams singer/songwriter said he hoped Mr Gershkovich was be free to “rejoin this world soon … where you can roam where you like and continue your descriptions of the truth.”

They join a growing group of prominent Australian leaders from the worlds of journalism, politics, business and the community showing support for the Wall Street Journal reporter, who many believe is being detained as a human bargaining chip in Vladimir Putin’s dealings with the west.

They letters of support to Mr Gershkovich will be sent to him at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison after they are translated into Russian, a condition for all messages sent to inmates at the Stalin-era facility.

Readers are encouraged to pen their own letter in support of Mr Gershkovich, who is being kept in isolation and only gets one hour of outdoor time per day.

Mr Gershkovich’s plight is drawing support from across the political spectrum, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton both adding their voice to the campaign.

“Journalists speak truth to power and should never be in prison for doing their job,” Mr Albanese wrote in his letter.

“Journalism sits at the core of liberal values – freedom of expression and the public’s right to know. The world is a dangerous place and the work you do has never been more important.”

Mr Dutton compared Mr Gershkovich’s detention to the incarceration of the famous Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who defied authorities to write about political repression in the then Soviet Union.

“The freedom to think is the victory of truth over lies and control,” Mr Dutton wrote. “With thought and truth, one’s spirit can endure the most testing of circumstances.”

In her letter, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she was “angered by this injustice”.

“Now, more than ever, it’s crucial that the world has access to independent reporting of what is happening in Russia. As the war in Ukraine continues, and the world reacts to the murder of Alexei Navalny, it is vital that the free press can do its job and expose the truth.”

Midnight Oil lead singer and former MP Peter Garrett told Mr Gershkovich that despite Australia’s distance from Russia, there was strong awareness of his situation.

“May you take some comfort from the fact that there is a strong campaign to secure your release and our deep hope is that this happens as soon as possible,” Mr Garrett wrote.

Similar comments came from the former Foreign Minister, NSW Premier and journalist Bob Carr, who urged Mr Gershkovich to “never surrender the hope that a sense of justice or at the very least some simple common sense is going to allow your return to family, country and profession”.

Some of Australia’s most respected journalists have also written to Mr Gershkovich, encouraging him to stay strong.

“Your detention is a stark reminder of the fragility of press freedoms and I hope all governments recognise that a free presses not a threat but a safeguard,” wrote Ten newsreader Sandra Sully.

The Project co-host Hamish Macdonald – for many years a foreign correspondent himself – said he saluted Mr Gershkovich’s “courageous reporting and bravery”.

“Freedom of the press can never be taken for granted and your predicament reminds us of this,” he wrote.

News Corp Australia’s support of the Free Evan campaign honours the fact that this masthead is a global stablemate of the Wall Street Journal.

“As champions for freedom of speech, journalists take risks every day to advocate for unrestricted dialogue, which is crucial to a functioning democracy,” Executive Chairman of News Corp Australasia Michael Miller said.

“We will not rest until Evan Gershkovich is reunited with his family and back in a newsroom, gathering facts and telling stories as a journalist.”

Erin Madeley, the Chief Executive of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, which represents journalists, said “false charges of espionage are laid to prevent truthful and accurate reporting of regimes that are seeking to avoid scrutiny”.

More Coverage

The growing outrage over Mr Gershkovich’s detention has also moved many prominent business leaders.

Mining and renewable energy magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest AO applauded Mr Gershkovich’s work, saying it was the “antidote to the misinformation that despots like Putin continue to propagate to justify their atrocities”.

Fellow AO Gina Rinehart called on the Biden administration in the US to redouble its efforts to “bring Evan home”, while Visy chairman Anthony Pratt reminded Mr Gershkovich that “You work for a great news organisation that will never give up on bringing you home.”

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Officials say there were no alarm bells before Monday’s terror attack at a southwest Sydney church, which is part of a concerning ‘trend’.

Peter Dutton has slammed the ‘left wing trash media’ for conflating his comparison of Port Arthur and last year’s Opera House protests.

The Woolworths boss has been accused of “bullsh**ting” and evading questions in a heated clash over supermarket profits.

Australia imposed sanctions against Russians for poisoning of opposition figure Kara-Murza

A ustralia has imposed sanctions against 13 Russians allegedly involved in the poisoning of opposition politician and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, according to Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong.

Today, Australia has implemented targeted financial sanctions and travel bans against three agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB) implicated in the poisoning of Russian opposition figure and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza in 2015 and 2017.

Australia has also imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on ten individuals, including a Russian deputy minister, associated with politically motivated arrests, legal proceedings, and the sentencing of Mr. Kara-Murza.

"Those responsible for Russia's appalling repression against civil society, human rights defenders, independent journalists, opposition figures, and minority groups must be held accountable," stated Penny Wong.

According to the list published on the website of the Australian government, among those subject to sanctions are:

Judges of the Moscow City Court Vitaliy Bilitckiy and Katerina Dorokhina, Judge of the Basmanny District Court Elena Lenskaya, Prosecutor Boris Loktionov, Deputy Minister of Justice Oleg Svyridenko, Head of the Main Investigative Directorate Denis Kolesnikov, Investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Andrey Zadachin.

The case of Kara-Murza

Journalist and opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza was targeted for poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017.

Despite the onset of a full-scale war in Ukraine, Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza remained in Russia. In the spring of 2022, he was arrested on charges of spreading misinformation about the Russian army, and later, two more criminal cases were filed against him, accusing him of state treason.

In mid-April 2023, Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The trial took place in a closed regime.

A few days later, the United Kingdom imposed additional sanctions against five Russians in response to the opposition figure's verdict.

In early June, the EU also imposed sanctions against nine Russians involved in the arrest of Kara-Murza.

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KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV

Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been told about Navalny's death. The reaction of Western leaders to the death was unacceptable and "absolutely rabid", Peskov said later.

RUSSIA'S INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE

The committee said it had launched a procedural probe into the death.

NAVALNY FAMILY, AIDES, SUPPORTERS

NAVALNY'S WIFE, YULIA NAVALNAYA, SPEAKING IN MUNICH

"We cannot believe Putin and his government because they lie incessantly. But, if it is indeed true, then I would like to say the following: Putin and all those who work for him, his entire entourage, his friends, I want them to know that they will not go unpunished. They will be punished for what they have done to our country, for what they have done to my family, for what they have done to my husband."

NAVALNY'S MOTHER, LYUDMILA NAVALNAYA, QUOTED BY RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER NOVAYA GAZETA AS SAYING ON FACEBOOK

"I don't want to hear any condolences. We saw him in prison on the (Feb) 12, in a meeting. He was alive, healthy and happy."

NAVALNY'S DEPUTY, IVAN ZHDANOV, ON X

Zhdanov said relatives of Navalny should be notified of his death within 24 hours, but no notifications had been made.

RUSSIAN NEWSPAPER EDITOR AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE DMITRY MURATOV

Speaking to Reuters, Muratov called the death "murder" and said he believed prison conditions had led to Navalny's demise.

FOREIGN LEADERS AND OFFICIALS

U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

"Russian authorities are going to tell their own story. But make no mistake. Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny's death...

"We don't know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Nalvany was a consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did."

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN, SPEAKING IN MUNICH

"His death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built. Russia is responsible for this."

FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON

"In today's Russia, free spirits are put in the Gulag and sentenced to death."

GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ

"I met Navalny here in Berlin when he was trying to recover in Germany from the poisoning attack and also talked to him about the great courage it takes to return to his country. And he has probably now paid for this courage with his life."

GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER ANNALENA BAERBOCK, ON X

"Like no one else, Alexei Navalny was a symbol for a free and democratic Russia. That is precisely the reason he had to die."

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS IN MUNICH

"It is obvious: he was killed by Putin, as thousands of others were tortured and martyred by this one 'creature'. Putin does not care who dies as long as he keeps his position. And that is why he should not keep anything. Putin should lose everything and answer for what he has done."

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES

Said he was shocked and urged a "full, credible and transparent investigation".

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE, ON X

"Australia mourns the tragic death of Alexei Navalny, a courageous force for democracy in Russia. His treatment was unforgivable, and our thoughts are with his family and with the people of Russia."

AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PENNY WONG, ON X

"His heroic opposition to Putin’s repressive and unjust regime inspired the world. We hold the Russian Government solely responsible for his treatment and death in prison."

UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON TORTURE ALICE EDWARDS

Said she and several U.N. independent experts had urged the Russian government to end Navalny's punitive prison conditions, called for an investigation into "credible allegations of torture against Mr. Navalny", and urged authorities to ensure he got medical treatment.

"That our appeals to the Kremlin were ignored so blatantly, and with such disregard for human life is a tragedy for Mr. Navalny, his family and supporters. It is also a bleak day for the rule of law, free expression and human rights."

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER RISHI SUNAK, ON X

"This is terrible news. As the fiercest advocate for Russian democracy, Alexei Navalny demonstrated incredible courage throughout his life."

SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER ULF KRISTERSSON ON X:

"The Russian authorities, and President Putin personally, are responsible for Alexei Navalny no longer being alive."

EU COUNCIL PRESIDENT CHARLES MICHEL, ON X

"Alexei Navalny fought for the values of freedom and democracy. For his ideals, he made the ultimate sacrifice. The EU holds the Russian regime solely responsible for this tragic death."

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN AND EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL

"He was slowly murdered by President Putin and his regime, who fear nothing more than dissent from their own people.

"We will spare no efforts to hold the Russian political leadership and authorities to account."

NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL JENS STOLTENBERG

"We need to establish all the facts, and Russia needs to answer all the serious questions about the circumstances of his death."

DUTCH PRIME MINISTER MARK RUTTE, ON X

"Navalny fought for democratic values and against corruption. He had to pay for his struggle with death while he was held under the harshest and most inhumane conditions."

LATVIAN PRESIDENT EDGARS RINKEVICS, ON X

"Whatever your thoughts about Alexei Navalny as the politician, he was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin. That's a fact and that is something one should know about the true nature of Russia's current regime."

CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER JAN LIPAVSKY

Russia "has turned into a violent state that kills people who dream of a better future, like Nemtsov or now Navalny - imprisoned and tortured to death for standing up to Putin. Rest in peace".

REPUBLICAN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER NIKKI HALEY

"Donald Trump continues to side with Vladimir Putin - a man who kills his political opponents, holds American journalists hostage, and has never hidden his desire to destroy America."

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Documents show Tonga criticised Australia and NZ's response to China-Solomon security pact

A leaked document from Tonga's Foreign Affairs Ministry shows that officials in the Pacific Island country sharply criticised Australia and New Zealand's response to the security pact signed by China and Solomon Islands , while declaring that Pacific diplomacy from Western nations was "failing".

In 2022, the Morrison and Ardern governments tried to rally Pacific nations to press Solomon Islands not to sign the vaguely worded and deeply contentious agreement with Beijing — in part because they feared it would allow Beijing to establish a military presence in the country.

The pact was signed by Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who is promoting his pro-China stance as a key pillar in his bid for re-election as the country heads to the polls next week.

The ABC has now obtained a strongly worded assessment of the strategic situation, penned by officials in Tonga's Foreign Ministry in the first half of 2022, that was intended to guide the Pacific island nation's response to the controversy.

The five-page document calls New Zealand's response to the Solomon Islands-China security agreement "nothing short of frantic" and flags that its then-foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta had requested a phone call to her Tongan counterpart to express Wellington's "grave" concerns about the pact.

"The views expressed by ANZ [Australia and New Zealand] on the situation in the Solomon Islands that only they (or the Pacific) can decide which countries Pacific states should align themselves with," the document says.

"This clearly shows they remain far removed from Pacific realities and only echoes the condescending rhetoric that we, unfortunately, see too often from ANZ leadership."

The document acknowledges China's "growing clout" in the region and says many Pacific island states are facing "threats to strategic independence as a result of growing indebtedness to Beijing".

But it says that in the end, Solomon Islands is a "sovereign nation and has the right to make decisions about its own security".

"Tonga should continue to promote that fact including the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states," it reads.

The document also says then-Australian prime minister Scott Morrison had "taken it upon himself to place phone calls to his PNG and Fijian counterparts to put pressure on the Solomons not to sign the Agreement with China."

"FM Mahuta will likely speak along the same lines tomorrow to our Minister."

"However it is highly unlikely either PNG or Fiji would condemn Solomon's sovereign decisions by nature of their close historical and cultural links."

The document also says that in the end, the matter would be dealt with by the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting that year, which would be a more "acceptable channel" than "reactionary demands over the telephone".

It adds that Mr Morrison's lobbying phone calls would likely "irritate" Pacific states, particularly because Australia was "outright refusing to accept Pacific Leaders concern over climate change as the single greatest threat to the Pacific's security and further refusing to limit emissions".

And it argues that if the West were unhappy about China's growing role in the Pacific then it would "only need look back at their Pacific rhetoric and their failure to live up to their respective Pacific diplomatic strategies to find solutions" to the region's pressing problems.

The document also takes aim at Australian and Western media outlets over their coverage of China and the Pacific, accusing them of being "obsessed" with China's presence in the region.

But despite its acknowledgement of Beijing's expanded ambitions in the region, it devotes no time to assessing what China's strategic, political or military aims might be in Solomon Islands or in the Pacific.

Document shows 'disconnect'

Dr Anna Powles from Massey University told the ABC that the document reflected the "disconnect" between how Australia and New Zealand perceived the "Pacific family" and the "frustrations felt in the region" towards the two larger nations.

"The document captures the tensions between how some Pacific nations view strategic competition in the region and the geopolitical anxieties held by Canberra and Wellington," she said.

"It reveals that deep reservations about the China-Solomon Islands security agreement are held by some Pacific governments, but also suggests that the way in which Canberra and Wellington responded to the security deal lacked sufficient understanding of astute Pacific diplomacy."

Dr Powles said while there were some "contradictory" messages in the document, it nonetheless "challenged the assumption in Canberra and Wellington that Australia and New Zealand should be the region's primary security providers, and in doing so sends a clear message that alternative security actors are welcome in the Pacific."

New Zealand's response

A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the ABC that it was "for Tongan officials to determine how they brief their ministers".

"New Zealand's objections to Solomon Islands and China's secretive security pact have not diminished. We see that agreement as unnecessary and unwelcome," they said.

They added that Pacific leaders had "repeatedly affirmed a strong commitment to support each other to meet the region's security needs" and New Zealand remained "firmly committed" to that principle.

"We will continue to take opportunities to caucus with our Pacific partners, bilaterally and in regional forums, on issues of shared concern or significant regional impact," they said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not yet responded to the ABC's request for comment.

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