Pacific Island Leaders Summit Underway At The White House

President Biden is shortly due to host a summit of Pacific Island leaders at the White House as his administration attempts to fortify relations in the Pacific to counter China’s growing regional influence.

• A Biden administration official told the Hill: “There’s also no question that there is some role that [China] has played in all this. No question that its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus.”
• The Washington Post reports: “…all eyes will be on Biden when he establishes diplomatic ties with the Cook Islands and Niue, two South Pacific nations… But Washington’s charm offensive may have already hit a roadblock.”
• Reuters reports, “Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country’s ties with China, will skip the summit.” AP notes that, “Vanuatu Prime Minister Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu will also miss the summit.”
• Semafor: “Climate change will be a major topic of the gathering, but as with many of the administration’s international engagements, China will be looming in the background."