Island nations scattered across the Pacific Ocean are at the center of an intensifying competition between China and the US for maritime routes, deep-water ports and other strategic assets in what the Lowy Institute calls a new “Great Game.
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That’s a significant turnaround for island leaders who used to complain that western nations didn’t pay enough attention to the region. Lowy warns the new strategic focus is set to challenge good governance and transparency, given opportunities for local political actors to advance narrow interests over what best serves the people of the Pacific.
The US and its allies are also catching up. Since 2017, 18 new embassies have been established in the Pacific, including American outposts in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, while four have closed. Australia, which has opened six new Pacific posts since 2017, is the only country with a resident diplomatic presence in every sovereign Pacific nation.
In 2022, China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, triggering concerns among western nations. That prompted the US and Australia to bolster security and other agreements with countries including Papua New Guinea. Canberra also signed an agreement with Tuvalu allowing its people to relocate to Australia as climate change worsens.
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