for 2 years, the author accompanies a cell of his family in northern syria. insights into the isolated world of radical islamists whom about family. faith, masculinity of fathers and sons starts april 16th on d, w. o o. this is the debra news asia coming up today. alarm over a potential chinese military presence in the south pacific australia. new zealand are concerned of a proposed security fact if been china and the solomon islands, it could see the chinese navy set up of bass on the solomons. i ask an expert why that is worrying plus concern over the chinese military, 5000 kilometers away in taiwan as well. and look at life on the taiwanese island.

jade. that would be the front line in any future chinese invasion. and you, me to russian nationals in taiwan. hesitant to return home to a country guilty of invading another. ah, i british benji. welcome to the dublin news. a shared ledger could join us. the leader of the solomon islands has denied reports. china plans to build a military base in the country, addressing parliament prime minister manase sobari pushed back against claims the solomon islands was facing any pressure over the matter. now the solomon islands lie north east of australia, talk of a potential chinese naval base, surfaced after the draft of a new security deal with china became public. and this is the clarification sort of,

audrey issued in parliament. the security trader, mr. biggers pursued at the request of someone, i don't know we're not precious. we're not in any way by our new friends. and there is no intention whatsoever me to speak to aust china to build a military base in. so my goodness well did. when assaulted myself, i'm home on phone stories. the stories emerging mainly out of australia and new zealand, which reacted with concern over to potential chinese military presence in the region. and it's worth mentioning how that australia on the solomons already have a security pack between them from 2017. so why are can but i'm wellington, so concerned with a new deal between china and the solomon's. i asked rory met gulf from the australian national university. or for a long time now,

there has been anxiety about the, the prospect of trying, or establishing a military base in the south pacific. in the territory of small island states between a stria new zealand, the united states and all the other pass this raging. this was portrayed is something of an overblown fear, a kind of crying wolf, if you like, asked security agencies for about 4 or 5 years now have been warning that something like this would happen. and of course now it appears that with the security agreement between the solomon islands, government, and china, the door is open for a chinese military presence in the solomon, solomon islands, not immediately a fully fledged based, but the option to large military and police force as the to protect chinese interests and perhaps to, to do other things as well. now, solomon islands,

prime minister, manassas bar, i said, as a sovereign nation, the islands could determine whom it wanted to partner for its security interests with. i mean that's, that's like a reasonable argument, isn't it? that's absolutely right. when every country has the sovereign ability to choose whether it wants to have the foreign military power, putting forces on its soil. the concern that countries like australia and new zealand have here is that this is a very contentious within the solomon islands. it's. it's divided between the government and the opposition, which strongly opposes the china military connection. and also, there is a big question mark over the origin of the steel. there have been allegations in the past of chinese influence campaigns helps even bribery to strengthen china's

position in the sullivan islands. it was only a few years ago that the solomon's the, basically a big switch from recognition of taiwan to recognition of the people's republic of china and the accusation. there was, but a lot of money changed hands in that process. so yes, there's a sovereign right, is a sovereign choice. but the question that is being asked is, is this in the best interests of small island states, the security concerns a much more closely developed, i'm sorry, much more closely connected to issues old development environment, health, fisheries, human security. rather than having a foreign military power on this. so you're talking about the switch to of the diplomatic recognition from taiwan to china. and now you have the security deal coming along. what is behind this shift to china? the fear saying there's

a much bigger dynamic at work here in my view, and i think the view of many analysts, china, is on a kind of cause i colonial push to extend its power and influence across this maritime region. that's been the subject of my own book, the so called built and road, the maritime silk road, the extension of influence through investment and infrastructure and technology. on the one hand, that might be a good thing for local development if they're interested in your needs. but on the other hand, it's quite easy that the chinese state is using these methods to extend its influence over a wide range of small countries. so that in turn, it can in time project security and military pass. it really is a kind of empire by stealth. and the concern for a country like a strategy ya, you,

that if you like, we are out flank in our own neighborhood in our own region. a chinese military force in the solomon islands would essentially block the way between a stray and its ally, the united states. re metcalf, leave with them for the time being. the thank you so much for joining us today. ah . the russian envision of ukraine has set off alarm bells in taiwan, which fears a similar fate from its larger neighbour china. beijing considers taiwan a rogue province and has threatened military action to retake it. no. where is that fear of that more widely felt in taiwan than on the tiny island of don't mean it's the northernmost of tyrants islands, just off the coast of mainland china. these islands have been shelled by china before during the cold war. despite that, they have become home to art cool restaurants and an age range that makes for

thriving communities. flying low over john yen, just off china's coast. the gateway to don ian is young. you harbor home to for starters, the breakfast restaurant owned by lynn g shoe. he fries a lot of eggs and here's a lot of concerns from long time customers. so aware of how close they live to a massive military power. then i will move up. it's really too scary. good. it wouldn't even just be us and china fighting other countries would surely join in the fight than just look at the war between russia and ukraine. if they use nuclear bombs, it'll all be over. no country would be able to escape out. not far from 64 year old lynn's place, 26 year old changing. yay! runs the peninsula restaurant and bookstore. she says younger islanders like her are aware they live on a global fault line that could rupture at any moment, but try not to think about it too much. 6 young and old,

here are subject to this, taiwanese military drill, which have ramped up in time with the russian invasion of ukraine. but at the peninsula restaurant and bookstore, the focus is right here. jaila tween taiwan and china. there should be a very clear discussion about what is right and that we are not the same. in the past, i had quite an urge to stand up and emphasized his point. but after coming here i started to understand why some middle aged people are not so keen on stressing that because they, we are on the front line as fairies move, soldiers and locals to and from the island. the question on dung is whether to worry each day about this being a geopolitical hotspot or keeps such worries at bay in a lush island setting. but on the main island of taiwan, this bodies of another kind affecting russians already living there. whether to

return home or to stay there, countries and version of ukraine has changed plans for some did a blues. zachary lea reports l mirror to no longer withdraw money from atm and taiwan. her credit cards don't work either. at the moment, she's living off cash reserves she had before the sanctions on russia hit. together with her classmates, almira arrived on an exchange program in taiwan just a week before the war began. seeing the war in ukraine and her home country, russia heavily sanctioned. she's finding it hard to enjoy campus life. i don't just feel right to go in and continue your usual life while people are dying under the bombs sponsored by, by you, by me personally. and this is the most for now, this is the most awful thoughts for me that my taxes are being spent on. this war

mirror feels guilty. she's been skipping all the trips, her college organizes for international students. for now, having tie when he's food with her classmates, might be her only pleasure. the war, although thousands of miles away, has greatly affected her life. she no longer plans to return to russia. now i'm planning to say, maybe in turkey or somewhere else, just waiting for my next semester in front. but again, this is also in ventured because if, if this continuous france may cancel the program as well for russians and this happened. so, speaking about plans is pointless. at this moment. there are nearly 1000 russians living here in taiwan right now at the start of russia invasion of ukraine. some russian celebrities in taiwan would be not by navy since online was here to, to remain silent and not take

a clear position on the war ukraine. but not you have any button to ranko, a russian artist living in taiwan. he's been outspoken in his support for ukraine. he's even started an online art fundraiser to help ukrainians if you are not against me and your kind of supports this, the resume, stay must to fight against this resume. do whatever i can. you have guinea held many art exhibitions in russia before he moved to taiwan 5 years ago and he is now canceled his plans to visit his family back home and is applying for ty when he's citizenship for i was never like engaged in activism activist and now i am totally against the war and again that, that there isn't this out to christine. so i will follow this topic now in my art. while you gainey has been taking part in protests and events against the war. he

also worries that he might be targeted for being in such a high profile position. but despite the risks he's convinced it's the right thing to do. and that's it from us for to day. there's more from the region on our website, d, deborah dot com, forward slash asia, back again tomorrow. at the same time, we will see you then, by what secrets my behind these will discover new adventures in 360 degrees and explore fascinating world heritage sites d w world heritage is 360. get the app. now, imagine how many portion of lunch are now in the world right now. the climate

change, the value of the story. this is my plan, the way home just one week. how much work can really get we still have time to go. i'm dealing with 5th. subscribe like ah, markets hold out hope for peace in ukraine. could a combination of powerful sanctions and diplomacy be enough to end the war. we'll try to find out and counting the costs of lockdown in shanghai. we'll look at the impacts of foreign for foreign businesses. of china 0 covet approach is to see to be a business on robots in berlin. welcome to the program. both sides still have so much

to lose. ukraine is saying it's citizens driven from their homes and even killed. meanwhile, russia is suffering under the harshest economic sanctions in history. a severe situation for russians is driving hopes that a diplomatic resolution to the war in ukraine can be reached during talks that are beginning in turkey. the small amount of optimism as provided a boost to global stocks. investors seized upon any sign of an end to the conflict which has brought such uncertainty to energy markets and supply chains. what get some insight into the situation in russia? i've been speaking to jeffrey sachs, he advised the soviet and russian government at the end of the cold war and now says, as director of the center of sustainable development at columbia university, i asked him about the impact of western sanctions on russia. well the sanctions are definitely a major effect on the russian.