US ‘back in force’ in Pacific as Biden hosts regional leaders at summit, vows to reopen embassies following China’s diplomatic push

“You will see, over the course of a few days, our commitment to reopen embassies,” said one official. “USAID is back in force in the Pacific. The Peace Corps has arrived in many of the islands that they’ve served with in previous periods.”

A number of philanthropic and business groups were also interested in deeply engaging with the Pacific, the official added.

Acknowledging that China had “some role” to play in “all this”, another administration official said there was “no question that its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus”.

Moreover, US national interests are tied to a “free, open, vibrant and dynamic Pacific region”, the official added.

After meeting with leaders from 14 Pacific island nations and territories last year, the White House said they shared a vision for a “resilient” region where “democracy will be able flourish”.

However, in a setback to Biden’s Pacific outreach to counter Beijing, the Solomon Islands is skipping the proceedings this year.

The archipelago, which refused to sign last year’s joint declaration that came out of the summit, has become a focus of attention in the West since it signed a security deal with China last year.

A senior Biden administration official said that the US was “disappointed” about the Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s decision to “not come to this very special summit”.

Biden to meet Pacific Island nations as US-China attention stays high

In his speech at the United Nations general assembly in New York on Friday, Sogavare applauded China’s development cooperation as “less restrictive, more responsive and aligned to our national needs”.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not be present due to a no-confidence vote back home.

In a first, Washington will be officially recognising the Cook Islands and the small South Pacific island of Niue at the two-day engagement.

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China, US offer competing security visions for Asia-Pacific at security forum

China, US offer competing security visions for Asia-Pacific at security forum

The summit comes just before Washington’s long-standing strategic agreements with the Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia are set to expire on Saturday.

The Compacts of Free Association are pacts that grant the US military access to each nation’s land, air and sea in exchange for financial help and permission for their citizens to legally live, work and go to school in the US.

The Biden administration has devoted much effort to the renewal of the agreements as they play a significant role in shoring up Washington’s presence in the region, and negotiations have not always been easy.

Western officials make a beeline for Indo-Pacific to counter China’s influence

The country has refusing to accept the Biden administration’s newest version of the agreements.

Citing “very substantial progress”, a senior Biden administration official said the US was confident of concluding a deal with the Marshall Islands.

Among other deliverable for this year’s summit are funding for undersea cable connectivity infrastructure and many million dollars more for other infrastructure projects in the region.

As US Congress debates budget, Pacific island nations watch with concern

The schedule for the Pacific islands leaders in the next two days will include a working lunch with Biden on Monday, followed by a round table meeting with US climate envoy John Kerry and a dinner with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

On Tuesday, they will be hosted by Kerry alongside Samantha Power, USAID’s administrator, in a meeting addressing climate and oceans.

Later that day, members of Congress will host the leaders on Capitol Hill. They are also slated to attend a business round table with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to examine how Pacific economies can promote trade and investment.