US Unveils Strategy To Counter China In Pacific

The White House has released a preview of Vice President Kamala Harris' address to the Pacific Island Forum. The White House says "we’re significantly stepping up our game in the Pacific Islands," and says that Harris will announce a "significant set of deliverables," and an "increased diplomatic presence on the ground throughout the region."

• According to the White House the US Pacific Island strategy is as follows:
• US to begin "discussions to establish new U.S. embassies in Kiribati and Tonga."
• US to appoint the "first-ever US envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum in order to expand our diplomatic footprint."
• US "to bring the Peace Corps back to the Pacific."
• Finally, "USAID will work toward reestablishing a regional mission in Suva, Fiji."
• The Pacific Island Forum comes as the region emerges this year as crucial to a perceived Chinese plan to project military power beyond the South China Sea.
• Washington Post: "China’s security agreement with the Solomon Islands appeared to catch the United States and its close regional allies, Australia and New Zealand, by surprise."
• The White House doesn't specifically namecheck China but mentions the increased interest in the region: "The last point on the broader strategic dynamic at play — and we recognize there’s an intense interest in the Pacific Islands among other countries. And I would just say that what we’re putting on the table is a true partnership based on friendship and respect and transparency."
• Richard Marles, the Australian defense minister said this week that a US and Australian failure to maintain a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific could be “catastrophic.”