The United States and Fiji have signed a new defense pact amid concerns about China's military influence in the Pacific.
As part of a recent tour of the Indo-Pacific, Lloyd Austin became the first U.S. defense secretary to visit the Pacific Island nation of Fiji. However, China's military continues to grow, and the United States is responding by expanding its military presence across the Pacific.
Austin and Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka announced almost $5 million from the U.S. to help support Fiji's military modernization.
Australia's ABC News reports they also signed a new deal to bolster "bilateral logistics cooperation." That will make it easier for the U.S. to help Fiji during emergencies by quickly transferring fuel and medical supplies.
The two men also confirmed the two countries would begin negotiating a legal pact that would help set rules and arrangements for U.S. military personnel in Fiji.
The defense secretary said that would pave the way for "increased exercises" and "military-to-military engagements" between the U.S. and Fiji.
But that does not mean the U.S. will establish a permanent military base in Fiji, as it has in allied countries like the Philippines and Japan.
