US Must Strengthen Ties With Freely Associated States to Counter China in Indo-Pacific: Report

Peter Christian, president of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), attends the "Small Islands States" meeting ahead of the start of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) at the Civic Center in Aiwo on the Pacific island of Nauru on September 3, 2018. Mike Leyral/AFP via Getty Images

The three Freely Associated States in the Pacific Islands region with whom the United States holds special economic and defense relationships are important for countering China’s increasing footprint in the region, according to a recent report by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), a federally-funded think tank.

Amidst this increasing power rivalry with China, the United States should elevate engagement with these nations, the report stated.