US Plans Solomon Islands Embassy in Push to Counter China

US Plans Solomon Islands Embassy in Push to Counter China
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) attends a meeting with Fijian acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (R) in Nadi, Fiji, on Feb. 12, 2022. Leon Lord/AFP via Getty Images
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NADI, Fiji—The United States will open an embassy in the Solomon Islands, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday as he committed more diplomatic and security resources into the Pacific as a counter to the Chinese regime’s drive for greater influence.

Blinken, in Fiji for virtual summit of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) of regional leaders, heard their complaints that they had long been overlooked by bigger nations.