Washington’s rancorous and “chaotic” politics of the past week have reverberated far and wide. Bipartisan legislation addressing the pressing domestic issue of the southern border crisis, bundled together with foreign policy flashpoints of funding for Ukraine and Israel, was torpedoed by Republicans who had previously been clamoring for a border resolution. Also bundled in the … Read more
Months ago, negotiations concluded between the United States and the three U.S. Freely Associated States (FAS) – Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia (FMS) and the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) – on the terms of the renewals of key components of the Compacts of Free Association (COFA). Those components cover primarily financial and service … Read more
In an ever-evolving world of diplomacy, it’s time for the United States to set its sights on a new horizon. Tuvalu, the least visited and fourth smallest country in the world, might not be on everyone’s radar but it holds a world of potential. The United States first appointed an ambassador to Tuvalu in 1980 … Read more
Advertisement On October 18, 2023, two statements were made at the United Nations — one condemning China’s human rights record in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and the other backing China’s position in these regions. The first statement, led by the U.K., was endorsed by 51 countries, with seven Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) members among … Read more
Advertisement Cleanup of areas destroyed in the Maui wildfires could end up being one of the most complex to date, federal officials said, given the island’s significant cultural sites, its rich history including a royal residence, and possibly remains of people who died in the disaster. The first stage of cleanup started in late August, … Read more
Advertisement Pacific leaders will be welcomed back to Washington D.C. for the second summit with the United States on September 25. This year there is a slight, but significant, renaming of this event from the inaugural U.S.-Pacific Islands Country Summit in 2022. It is now named the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit, an indication of how … Read more
Magazine Washington has indeed stepped up engagement, but missteps, half-steps, and mixed messaging are getting in the way. U.S. President Joe Biden poses for a family photo with leaders of the Pacific Island Country Summit at the North Portico of the White House, Sep. 29, 2022. Credit: Official White House Photo by Erin Scott Advertisement … Read more
Advertisement Of the Pacific Island states, the three countries that are unquestionably the closest allies of the United States are the Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The closeness of the relationship between the United States and each of the three is legally captured in … Read more
Advertisement The Pacific island nation of Palau needs U.S. help to deter China’s “unwanted activities” around its coasts, its leader said Thursday and repeated his government’s determination to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. told a news conference in Tokyo that three Chinese boats have made “uninvited” entries into his country’s … 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