US Signals Renewed Focus on South Pacific to Counter Rising Chinese Influence

US Signals Renewed Focus on South Pacific to Counter Rising Chinese Influence
(L-R) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women Marise Payne, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, and Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa at Melbourne Commonwealth Parliament Office in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 11, 2022. AAP Image/Pool, Darrian Traynor
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NEW DELHI—The United States and several allies have signaled a renewed focus on the Pacific Island with fresh visits and diplomatic engagements this month, but a lot more needs to be done to mitigate the Chinese regime’s influence in the region, according to experts.

Beijing has over the years steadily expanded its economic and political footprint in the South Pacific, a region that consists of 14 sovereign island nations and seven territories with a cumulative population of 13 million.
Venus Upadhayaya
Venus Upadhayaya
Reporter
Venus Upadhayaya reports on India, China, and the Global South. Her traditional area of expertise is in Indian and South Asian geopolitics. Community media, sustainable development, and leadership remain her other areas of interest.
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