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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Focus on Pacific Island economies, climate crisis to counter China, US told

  • US-China Economic and Security Review Commission hears the US must win hearts and minds of Pacific Islanders by taking their priorities seriously
  • US government should take seriously Pacific Island concerns over economic opportunities, environmental and climate change crises

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Leaders assemble at the Pacific Islands Forum in Suva on July 14, 2022. The US and its allies “should seek to avoid further militarisation or resorting to military options first when dealing with the region”, experts told a US advisory panel. Photo: AFP
Kinling Lo
The US should avoid engaging in military build-up or security competition with China in the Pacific Islands and instead focus on economic and environmental benefits for the region, experts told the US government’s leading advisory panel on China policy.
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American experts told the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) on Wednesday that the US need not be too worried about Chinese influence, but must win the hearts and minds of Pacific Islanders by taking their priorities seriously.

“The US and its allies and partners generally should seek to avoid further militarisation or resorting to military options first when dealing with the region,” said Derek Grossman, a senior defence analyst at the Rand Corporation in testimony to the USCC panel that evaluates China’s strategy for the Pacific Islands.

“To counter China’s military plans is likely only going to make the situation tenser.

“Pacific Island leaders resoundingly rejected geostrategic competition at their summit last month, and that would logically include military competition,” he said, referring to the annual summit held in July that sought to break ground on issues ranging from climate change to security and connectivity.
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Alarm over regional security in the Pacific stemmed from a reportedly leaked draft from the China-Solomon Islands security agreement signed in April, which indicated that the Solomons would allow a Chinese naval deployment in the islands.
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