Latest news with #Samoa-based
Scoop
02-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
PACER Plus Joint Committee To Convene In Honiara For Critical Talks On Regional Economic Cooperation
Press Release – PACER Plus PACER Plus is more than a trade agreement its a commitment to sustainable development and shared prosperity across the Pacific, said Mr. Lagolago, Head of the PPIU. HONIARA, Solomon Islands – Senior officials from across the Pacific will gather in Honiara next week for the eighth meeting of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Joint Committee, set to take place on 5-6 May 2025. The meeting will be chaired by Mr. Collin Beck, Permanent Secretary of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, and will bring together representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The two-day meeting will focus on reviewing progress under the PACER Plus agreement, including updates on the implementation of the 2024-2025 annual work plan. The Samoa-based PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), led by Mr. Roy Lagolago, will provide a detailed report on ongoing activities supporting the treaty's objectives, particularly under the Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme and the Arrangement on Labour Mobility. Australia and New Zealand have been key partners in supporting PACER Plus, jointly committing AU$25 million in October 2021 to fund the DEC Work Programme, which is managed by the PPIU. This funding, set to conclude in December 2025, has been instrumental in strengthening regional trade integration and addressing the unique development challenges faced by Pacific Island nations. Discussions at the meeting will include the potential extension of the DEC Work Programme to ensure continued progress. 'PACER Plus is more than a trade agreement – it's a commitment to sustainable development and shared prosperity across the Pacific,' said Mr. Lagolago, Head of the PPIU. 'This meeting is an opportunity to assess our achievements, address challenges, and plan for the future, ensuring that the benefits of regional economic integration reach all our communities.' PACER Plus was designed with a strong emphasis on supporting the Pacific Parties' participation in international trade while addressing their distinct vulnerabilities and capacity constraints. The agreement recognises the critical role of regional cooperation in fostering long-term socio-economic development. The outcomes of the Joint Committee meeting will help shape the next phase of PACER Plus implementation, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of Pacific economic resilience and integration.
Scoop
02-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
PACER Plus Joint Committee To Convene In Honiara For Critical Talks On Regional Economic Cooperation
HONIARA, Solomon Islands – Senior officials from across the Pacific will gather in Honiara next week for the eighth meeting of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus Joint Committee, set to take place on 5-6 May 2025. The meeting will be chaired by Mr. Collin Beck, Permanent Secretary of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, and will bring together representatives from Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The two-day meeting will focus on reviewing progress under the PACER Plus agreement, including updates on the implementation of the 2024-2025 annual work plan. The Samoa-based PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU), led by Mr. Roy Lagolago, will provide a detailed report on ongoing activities supporting the treaty's objectives, particularly under the Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme and the Arrangement on Labour Mobility. Australia and New Zealand have been key partners in supporting PACER Plus, jointly committing AU$25 million in October 2021 to fund the DEC Work Programme, which is managed by the PPIU. This funding, set to conclude in December 2025, has been instrumental in strengthening regional trade integration and addressing the unique development challenges faced by Pacific Island nations. Discussions at the meeting will include the potential extension of the DEC Work Programme to ensure continued progress. 'PACER Plus is more than a trade agreement – it's a commitment to sustainable development and shared prosperity across the Pacific,' said Mr. Lagolago, Head of the PPIU. 'This meeting is an opportunity to assess our achievements, address challenges, and plan for the future, ensuring that the benefits of regional economic integration reach all our communities.' PACER Plus was designed with a strong emphasis on supporting the Pacific Parties' participation in international trade while addressing their distinct vulnerabilities and capacity constraints. The agreement recognises the critical role of regional cooperation in fostering long-term socio-economic development. The outcomes of the Joint Committee meeting will help shape the next phase of PACER Plus implementation, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of Pacific economic resilience and integration.
South China Morning Post
28-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Taiwan probes China chipmaker SMIC for allegedly poaching staff
Taiwan is investigating whether China's leading chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) illegally poached local engineers as part of an effort to access the island's cutting-edge chip technology. Advertisement SMIC set up a branch in Taiwan posing as a Samoa-based company and tried to hire local talent, prosecutors from Taiwan's Investigation Bureau said Friday in a statement. Local investigators raided 34 locations and conducted 90 interrogations this month as part of a large-scale probe into 11 Chinese tech companies including SMIC, according to the bureau, which is part of the justice ministry. A SMIC representative did not respond to requests for comment. SMIC rose to global fame in 2023 when it worked with Huawei Technologies to produce an advanced 7-nanometere chip despite facing a myriad of US-led curbs that continue to prevent China from securing the most advanced chipmaking equipment. However, the two companies now have hit a snag with technology development as they cannot secure ASML Holding's extreme ultraviolet lithography systems required to make the most cutting-edge chips. A general view of the SMIC facilities in Shanghai, March 15, 2024. Photo: AFP As China faces growing restrictions on its access to advanced foreign technologies, it has aggressively tried to obtain know-how in cutting-edge segments including semiconductors by ramping up efforts to recruit engineers from Taiwan and elsewhere.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Taiwan Probes China Chipmaker SMIC for Allegedly Poaching Staff
(Bloomberg) -- Taiwan is investigating whether China's leading chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. illegally poached local engineers as part of an effort to access the island's cutting-edge chip technology. Why Did the Government Declare War on My Adorable Tiny Truck? How SUVs Are Making Traffic Worse Trump Slashed International Aid. Geneva Is Feeling the Impact. These US Bridges Face High Risk of Catastrophic Ship Strikes Gold-Rush Fever Returns to Historic New Zealand Mining Town SMIC set up a branch in Taiwan posing as a Samoa-based company and tried to hire local talent, prosecutors from Taiwan's Investigation Bureau said Friday in a statement. Local investigators raided 34 locations and conducted 90 interrogations this month as part of a large-scale probe into 11 Chinese tech companies including SMIC, according to the bureau, which is part of the justice ministry. A SMIC representative did not respond to requests for comment. SMIC rose to global fame in 2023 when it worked with Huawei Technologies Co. to produce an advanced 7-nanometer chip despite facing a myriad of US-led curbs that continue to prevent China from securing the most advanced chipmaking equipment. However, the two companies now have hit a snag with technology development as they cannot secure ASML Holding NV's extreme ultraviolet lithography systems required to make the most cutting-edge chips. As China faces growing restrictions on its access to advanced foreign technologies, it has aggressively tried to obtain know-how in cutting-edge segments including semiconductors by ramping up efforts to recruit engineers from Taiwan and elsewhere. Taiwan has become a favorite talent farm for China as the two sides share the same language while the island boasts of the best chipmaking technologies in the world. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is the go-to chipmaker for Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp., producing the majority of the world's AI accelerators. Taiwan does not allow Chinese companies to conduct business activities including hiring locally without formal government approval. However, there have been many cases of Chinese tech companies setting up operations in Taiwan and posing as foreign or local firms. The high pay offered by Chinese companies to lure away Taiwanese engineers has been a perennial story in local media. The investigation bureau said it has opened over 100 investigations into Chinese companies illegally hiring Taiwanese engineers since it formed a task force for such probes in 2020. --With assistance from Gao Yuan, Cindy Wang and Miaojung Lin. Business Schools Are Back Google Is Searching for an Answer to ChatGPT Israel Aims to Be the World's Arms Dealer A New 'China Shock' Is Destroying Jobs Around the World The Richest Americans Kept the Economy Booming. What Happens When They Stop Spending? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg
28-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Taiwan Probes China Chipmaker SMIC for Allegedly Poaching Staff
Taiwan is investigating whether China's leading chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. illegally poached local engineers as part of an effort to access the island's cutting-edge chip technology. SMIC set up a branch in Taiwan posing as a Samoa-based company and tried to hire local talent, prosecutors from Taiwan's Investigation Bureau said Friday in a statement.
