CANBERRA, Australia (Washington Insider Magazine) – In a speech to a conference of island countries that are constantly being influenced by China, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris formally announced fresh investments in the Pacific and the establishment of 2 embassies on Wednesday.
Given that the summit’s engagement partners, such as France, China, Britain, and the United States, were not invited to this year’s conference, NBC NEWS noted that Harris’s offer to speak electronically at the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji was extraordinary.
According to Harris, the United States will open 2 new embassies in Tonga and Kiribati, a Micronesian republic that withdrew from the 18-member summit last week, dealing a severe blow to regional peace.
She also suggested that the first U.S. ambassador to the forum be appointed, returning Peace Corps members to the area, and asking Congress to triple financing for economic growth and “ocean resilience” in the region to $60 million a year.
Concerned about a security agreement inked this year between China and the Solomon Islands, the United States and the wealthiest members of the forum, New Zealand and Australia, have increased their involvement in the area. President Joe Biden was the first American president to speak at the event last year.
For the first time since 1993, the United States announced earlier this year that it will reopen its consulate in the Solomon Islands. The statement was made in February by State secretary Antony Blinken on a Pacific trip, the first such visit by the nation’s top diplomat in forty years.
2019 saw a change in the diplomatic status of Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over the island, from self-governing Taiwan to the Solomon Islands and Kiribati. It is believed that China ‘s dominance in the region has increased as a result of Kiribati’s exit from the forum.
On Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong asked members of the conference to work together to address common issues including the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and the geopolitical competition between the United States and China.
Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, called Kiribati’s departure “disappointing” during her arrival in Fiji on Monday. Wong stated that Kiribati’s return is still possible.
China’s ambitious proposal to convince 10 Pacific Island countries to ratify a new, all-encompassing deal covering everything from security to fisheries fell down in May when the region’s residents voiced serious concerns. However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also achieved a number of minor victories during his island-hopping trip of the area, including bilateral treaties.
On May 30, Wang was in Fiji to co-host a significant gathering of the foreign ministers of the ten island countries. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama and Wang spoke at an unusual press conference that followed for nearly 30 minutes before abruptly leaving the podium as the media sought to yell questions. That left many questions regarding the events of the conference unresolved, but it was obvious that the countries had opposed China’s proposal.