President Joe Biden says the United States is committed to increasing its presence in the Pacific Islands. That was his message last week to visiting leaders from 14 countries in the region.
The White House is looking to improve relations in the Pacific amid U.S. concern about China’s growing military and economic influence.
Biden pledged that the U.S. would add $810 million in new aid for Pacific Island nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to combat climate change.
The president also unveiled the outline of a White House plan to assist the region's leaders.
The 16-page document mentions expanding the number of U.S. diplomatic missions from six to nine across the Pacific. It also discusses the renewal of agreements with Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands that will soon expire — the Compacts of Free Association.
The Associated Press reports White House officials acknowledge that U.S. inattentiveness toward the region since the end of the Cold War left an opening for China to exert its influence.
The Solomon Islands earlier this year signed a new security pact with Beijing. Prior to the summit, the country signaled it would be hesitant to sign any end-of-summit statement critical of China.
But in the end, the Solomon Islands signed on to the joint declaration. The statement instead included calls for strengthening the Pacific economy, tackling climate change, and maintaining peace and security across the Pacific. But it avoided any direct mention of China.
