Marion Crawshaw
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edithm.bsky.social
Marion Crawshaw
@edithm.bsky.social
Former NZ diplomat, focused on the Pacific & geopolitics in the Asia Pacific region with a smattering of economics, technology & balcony gardening.
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
More on EU/CPTPP cooperation, Denmark up for considering EU-CPTPP negotiations? "We realized that everything is up in the air these days, so we have to diversify our trade relations," Rasmussen said

asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Pic...
Denmark's foreign minister eyes EU ties with CPTPP
Trump's designs on Greenland 'out of the question,' Rasmussen says
asia.nikkei.com
April 30, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
"Acharya deserves credit for imagining a future that extends beyond the binary sometimes advanced by officials in the West that if the United States doesn’t lead, either no one leads or one other single country (read China) will lead." www.aseanwonk.com/p/coming-mul...
Review: Coming Multiplex World Order and Southeast Asia
A new book forecasts the likely trajectory of global order and geopolitical and geoeconomic implications for Southeast Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific region.
www.aseanwonk.com
April 22, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
"Investors are starting to think the US administration is losing control of the narrative"

US stocks sink despite tariff reprieve
www.ft.com/content/eb63...
US stocks sink on tech weakness and tariff confusion
Wall Street extends slide sparked by fears over economic impact of Donald Trump’s on-off trade war
www.ft.com
March 6, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Useful commentary from ASPI on NZ’s response to Kiribati/Cooks issues.
'New Zealand is taking too hasty and too abrasive an approach to Pacific islands, putting leadership in the region on edge. We see this in a bungled attempt to visit Kiribati that led to a threat to withdraw aid and in a tense public stand-off with Cook Islands,' writes Blake Johnson.
New Zealand’s trouble in paradise | The Strategist
New Zealand is taking too hasty and too abrasive an approach to Pacific islands, putting leadership in the region on edge. We see this in a bungled attempt to visit Kiribati that led to a ...
www.aspistrategist.org.au
February 11, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
'New Zealand is taking too hasty and too abrasive an approach to Pacific islands, putting leadership in the region on edge. We see this in a bungled attempt to visit Kiribati that led to a threat to withdraw aid and in a tense public stand-off with Cook Islands,' writes Blake Johnson.
New Zealand’s trouble in paradise | The Strategist
New Zealand is taking too hasty and too abrasive an approach to Pacific islands, putting leadership in the region on edge. We see this in a bungled attempt to visit Kiribati that led to a ...
www.aspistrategist.org.au
February 11, 2025 at 6:10 AM
This result also indicates that we need to be much more nimble.
Bad for Labour, worse for the Conservatives.
Our latest voting intention poll (2-3 Feb) has Reform UK in front for the first time, although the 1pt lead is within the margin of error.

Ref: 25% (+2 from 26-27 Jan)
Lab: 24% (-3)
Con: 21% (-1)
Lib Dem: 14% (=)
Green: 9% (=)
SNP: 3% (=)

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
February 3, 2025 at 10:17 PM
On the face of it, the tilt last year twds trad partners & away from the even handed indept fp has placed us at huge risk w/both our major partners. Not the right time now for a public reassessment but internal reflections at least are reqd.
February 3, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
This time is different because the tariffs are on everything.
February 1, 2025 at 11:28 PM
A diversion from the state of the world. A few pics of my Jan visit to NZ’s sub-Antarctic Islands.
January 31, 2025 at 11:40 PM
TLDR: not that much. US aid to Pacific 6-7% of aid to the region & vast bulk of it is under Micronesian Compact States Agreements which are not caught by the freeze.
How will Trump's US aid freeze affect the Pacific www.rnz.co.nz/internationa...
How will Trump's US aid freeze affect the Pacific?
A senior research fellow at the Development Policy Centre says the freeze is important because it raises the prospect of Washington stepping back from some key sectors.
www.rnz.co.nz
January 31, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Paywalled unfortunately but a NZ version of Temasek needs to get more attention, including detailed commentary on how it wld work.

Singapore has Temasek – Why not KiwiSec for New Zealand? - Matthew Hooton
January 31, 2025 at 12:49 AM
The King of Tonga apears to be successfully rolling back the democratic reforms of 2010. Add this to turmoil in Samoan governance, constant changes in Vanuatu govts, & a fragile Fiji govt, not to mention the issues in Kanaky/New Caledonia. www.benarnews.org/english/comm...
www.benarnews.org
January 31, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
Lots to discuss. Time to invigorate #CPTPP and move ahead more rapidly with deepening and accessions esp China (and Chinese Taipei). The times demand it, business requires it, the workd needs it! #Tradeworks
Trade Ministers from Australia and NZ meeting in Sydney #ANZLF
January 26, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
update to this story: a fresh coalition looms with voters again spreading preferences widely. Gloria Julia King may lose her seat according to unofficial results in circulation. However, another woman may win: Marie Louise Milne in Port Vila.
www.canberratimes.com.au/story/886869...
Coalition govt likely in Vanuatu, where women struggle
Vanuatu has just one female MP and seven women candidates among the 217 running for office in this...
www.canberratimes.com.au
January 17, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
An election day report - now the wait begins for results. Polling day has passed without reports of major incidents (so far) - a few grumbles about voting tweaks like needing ID & long lines. Which would be a triumph given the recent earthquake.
www.northweststar.com.au/story/886768...
Earthquake doesn't derail Vanuatu's snap election
Vanuatu is set for its fifth prime minister in just over two years, as voting gets underway in...
www.northweststar.com.au
January 16, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Political crisis in Samoa.
January 16, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Great to see @armbrusters.bsky.social on here. Another addition to the Bsky Pacific community.
January 16, 2025 at 10:32 PM
When even Biden has abandoned the “Indo-Pacific” terminology.
“Mr. Biden argued that he had turned around the rivalry with China, both by forging new partnerships in the Asian-Pacific region…”
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/13/u...
Biden Will Deliver Final Foreign Policy Speech on Monday (Gift Article)
The president argued in a speech that he strengthened U.S. alliances during his four years in office and that America’s adversaries are weaker than when he took over.
www.nytimes.com
January 14, 2025 at 1:01 AM
www.benarnews.org
January 4, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
Solomon Islands Constituent Assembly to reconvene before the end of 2024 after a Bill to extend its deadline to debate and vote on a new Federal Constitution fails to pass parliament. Excellent reporting (with links!) by Georgina Kekea www.tavulinews.com.sb/opposition-c...
Constitutional Deadline Sparks Concerns - Tavuli News (Solomon Islands)
Opposition raises concerns over the PM's decision to convene the Constituent Assembly a day before the constitutional deadline.
www.tavulinews.com.sb
December 29, 2024 at 6:31 AM
The bSky Pacific community is still pretty thin, but I’ve put together a list of acts here that have a Pacific focus or serious interest. Will continue to add to it
bsky.app/profile/did:...
December 20, 2024 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
L’ambassade 🇺🇸 est aplatie. Nous avions 5 agents à l’intérieur, qui ont pu s’extraire in extremis. Avec les répliques, le bâtiment continue de bouger.
December 18, 2024 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
#Earthquake We no longer have an embassy, but this evening, with a dozen military personnel, we are preparing the residence: satellite connection, water, electricity, camp beds and so on. We're up and running again, and ready to help our fellow citizens and friends in Vanuatu.
December 18, 2024 at 12:45 PM
Reposted by Marion Crawshaw
5 dead Skuas sampled on James Ross Island, Antarctica, March 2024. All positive for 2.3.4.4 -confirming the first recorded HPAI-related mortality event in Antarctica (south of 60°S)
👉https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1423404/full
December 16, 2024 at 2:14 AM