Latest news with #JohnEwen
RNZ News
25-04-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
China defends Tonga loans amid rising debt concerns: A call for fair representation
By PMN The destruction from the 2006 riots, pictured, led Tonga to secure a major Chinese loan to fund reconstruction of the capital. Additional loans were later used for road upgrades and the International Dateline Hotel. Photo: Photo/John Ewen via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5) China's embassy in Tonga has taken to Facebook to defend its loans to the Kingdom, following fresh media coverage and concerns about the country's rising debt. The Facebook post , shared on 24 April, says China gave the loans to help Tonga during a difficult time. "Recently, there were news reports on the loans provided by China to Tonga many years ago," the post says. "China offered concessional loans to Tonga based on the principles of bilateral friendship and equal cooperation. "When Tonga was in trouble and asked for loans to ease economic pressure, China was the only country to lend a helping hand." The embassy says China's Export-Import Bank has provided three concessional loans. One of them has already been paid off for the International Dateline Hotel. The other two, for rebuilding Nukuʻalofa's CBD and upgrading national roads, are still being repaid. The remaining debt is about USD$58 million (about NZD$97 million). China says the loans helped Tonga's economy and were similar to those offered by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The embassy also says China has given Tonga more time to repay through debt rollovers and grace periods, including under the G20 debt relief programme. "We hope an objective and fair position could be observed on this matter without misleading the public with groundless speculation," the Facebook statement concludes. China's response follows recent media reports highlighting concerns about Tonga's debt. ABC Pacific reported on 21 April that Tonga still owes around US$190 million (about NZ$318 million) in external debt, two-thirds of which is to China. Former Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni told ABC Pacific, "We took the loan, benefited from it, so we must pay it back. Otherwise, we are just passing this burden on to our children and their children." Republishing and expanding on the ABC Pacific story, PINA reported on 22 April that the Lowy Institute warned the debt has become "a millstone around Tonga's neck." The original loan was taken out to help Tonga recover after the 2006 riots, which damaged 80 per cent of central Nukuʻalofa. In 2007, Tonga and China signed a concessional loan deal worth about TOP 118 million (about NZD$83 million). The money was disbursed from 2009 to 2012. The loan had an interest rate of two per cent and was meant to be repaid over 21 years. It included a five-year grace period, which was later extended. Management and commitment fees also applied. Most funds were used for government projects; the rest were lent to private businesses. However, many of those businesses struggled to repay the loans. Work included rebuilding buildings like the Tungi Colonnade, fixing streets and drains, and building the Vuna Wharf. Chinese construction firms China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) carried out the project. A joint IMF and World Bank debt sustainability analysis says Tonga is still at high risk of debt distress. The 2024 report shows Tonga's external debt was USD$ 189 million (about NZD$ 316 million), or 38 per cent of GDP. More than half of it is owed to China. Debt repayments jumped to 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2024 and will likely stay high until 2027. The World Bank says Tonga's debt could pass safely by 2034 without more grants or tighter budgets. Both institutions say Tonga needs to manage its debt carefully and work to bring in more financial support. China has already allowed Tonga to delay repayments twice. The grace period was extended to 10 years in 2013 and again to 15 years in 2018. This means Tonga only started repaying the principal in September 2023 and will finish in 2028. While the loans were intended to help rebuild the capital, support businesses, and build infrastructure, some worry they have made Tonga too dependent on outside help. Political commentator and community leader Melino Maka, writing for the Tonga Independent News, defends the former government's decision to forgive 25 per cent of the loans owed by four private companies. He says the buildings were poorly built, and the businesses couldn't repay loans on defective properties. "The Sovaleni government made a pragmatic decision ... In return, the businesses agreed to fix the problems and paid back $5 million (about NZD$8.4 million)," Maka writes. He says the government also worked out a deal to repay the debt to China by 2030. "The reality is simple: the government acted in good faith to protect the public interest... The bigger issue now is not just the loan, but the quality of governance and public discourse in our nation." -This article was first published by PMN .
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Extinct-In-The-Wild Bird Species Is Breeding On A New Island Home
The Guam kingfisher was extinct in the wild for almost 40 years but this species was recently released into the wild where it is now breeding. A pair of Sihek or Guam Kingfisher (Todiramphus cinnamominus) on Palmyra Atoll. Five males and four ... More females were returned to the wild on Palmyra Atoll in September 2024. This pair (Female, left and male, right) are the parents of the first confirmed eggs laid in the wild for 40 years. (Credit: Martin Kastner / TNC-ZSL) In the face of growing despair and gloom, the Guam Kingfisher, better known as the Sihek, Todiramphus cinnamominus, is the source of yet more good news: eggs! These beautiful birds, extinct in the wild for 40 years, were recently rewilded on Palmyra Atoll (read more here, here, and here). Although captive-bred Sihek were not on their native home of Guam, this release is nevertheless a critically important step closer to their eventual return home. 'Many of us spent this Easter weekend out searching high and low for eggs of a different variety – and while they might not be as shiny or brightly coloured, these tiny, unassuming-looking eggs are far more exciting and precious than any of their chocolate counterparts,' said conservation biologist John Ewen, a professor at the Institute of Zoology, which is the research division of the Zoological Society of London, and Sihek Recovery Team Chair. Professor Ewen's research focuses on small population recovery, often involving conservation translocation, and the science that supports these decisions. 'They are a remarkable milestone for the decades-long mission to rescue the Sihek from the edge of extinction, and this moment for celebration is a real testament to all the dedicated work from everyone working around the clock to protect and recover this incredible bird.' A total of nine chicks — four female and five male Sihek — were hand-reared at the Sedgwick County Zoo and prepared for this historic rewilding effort, which occurred when the birds were released on Palmyra Atoll at the end of September 2024. 'We're delighted that all nine of the birds are not only surviving on Palmyra Atoll, they're already starting the next stage of their journey as we work to reestablish a thriving and fully self-sustaining Sihek population in the wild,' said bird conservation scientist, Caitlin Andrews, with The Nature Conservancy and an Honorary Research Associate with the Zoological Society of London. Dr Andrews' specialty is developing translocation programs for species recovery. The breeding pairs of Sihek are very young – less than a year old – so this is the first time they're incubating and caring for eggs, thus it may take a few egg laying attempts for the birds to develop their skills and successfully hatch chicks. 'It's taken years of planning to get to this point, and it's wonderful seeing their instincts kick in as they've been catching geckos and spiders and excavating nests,' Dr Andrews added. 'Their strength provides hope they will one day be back on Guam.' A Sihek egg from 2024. (Credit: ZSL) 'After many long days last year looking after these birds when they were just tiny eggs and chicks, it's so rewarding to see them beginning their journey towards raising their own chicks in the forests of Palmyra Atoll,' said London Zoo birdkeeper Charlotte James, who travelled to Sedgwick County Zoo to hand-rear the birds prior to their release. 'It's hard not to feel like a proud parent seeing them out there thriving and making history – and an honour to be part of the ongoing mission to bring Sihek back from the brink of extinction.' Nonetheless, these eggs demonstrate both the tremendous resilience of these remarkable birds and the power of conservation to create a second chance for species on the brink of extinction. This monumental rewilding event was the result of a global collaborative effort by the Sihek Recovery Program. Partners that either contributed eggs, chicks or staff to assist with their care to this effort include the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Disney's Animal Kingdom, the National Aviary, and Sedgwick County Zoo where they received expert care at a purpose-built facility until they were mature enough to make the journey to the atoll. Egg selection and transfer were coordinated by the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), whose staff also helped manage the care of the birds, along with Tracy Aviary, and ZSL's London and Whipsnade Zoos. The young Sihek were temporarily housed in outdoor aviaries on the Cooper Island preserve and research station, where they acclimated to the local environment and wildlife. The Cooper Island preserve and research station are owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy, which purchased Palmyra Atoll to be an ecosystem reserve and scientific field station in 2000. (Full disclosure: I contributed to this effort.) 'This work on Palmyra is something I couldn't have imagined witnessing in my lifetime, let alone being a part of, said Aimee Owen, senior aviculturist at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. 'Our team here at Cincinnati Zoo is head-over-heels for these birds and so excited that they've come as far as they have and just keep on going.' Some of the young birds were named in an online voting process and with ongoing care at Palmyra Atoll, the team has become deeply connected with each individual bird. 'Even moreso, Tutuhan, Cincinnati's first egg, and first chick produced, and the first chick of the entire project is now one of the first to produce eggs on the island,' added Ms Owen. 'Her being 'the first of firsts' of this ground-breaking conservation work is a milestone that simply fills us with pride, even beyond playing our role in the first place.' Plans are underway to release more young Sihek on Palmyra Atoll in summer of 2025. Already, egg laying is underway at participating AZA-accredited institutions across the USA. After these eggs hatch and the chicks mature, the young birds will journey to Palmyra, to be released, with the ultimate goal of establishing ten breeding pairs there. The wild Sihek at Palmyra Atoll will pave the way for a growing, wild Sihek population for the first time in decades. © Copyright by GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes | Socials: Bluesky | CounterSocial | Gab | LinkedIn | Mastodon Science | Spoutible | SubStack | Threads | Tribel | Tumblr | Twitter
