Advertisement In the spring of 2022, news leaked that Solomon Islands was about to sign a new security pact with China. That served as a harsh awakening for the United States that Beijing’s influence in the Pacific Islands region was growing. Since then, Washington has majorly stepped up its engagement with the regional countries, highlighted … Read more
Advertisement While disappointment lingered over U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel his trip to Papua New Guinea, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended meetings in Port Moresby in his stead. While the symbolism of the first visit by a sitting U.S. president to the Pacific Islands was deeply missed, the trip still marked … Read more
Advertisement Papua New Guinea had declared Monday, May 22, a public holiday in anticipation of a historic visit by U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders from the region. Police were tightening security, billboards were going up, and people were getting ready to sing and dance in the streets. Expectations were high for what would … Read more