Viewpoints
Opinion

Who ‘Lost’ the Pacific? 

Who ‘Lost’ the Pacific? 
Leaders pose for a photo at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, on Aug. 26, 2024. Ben Mckay/AAP Image via AP
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Commentary

The “great powers of the Pacific”—including the United States, China, Australia, and others—have largely lost control over the Pacific, particularly the smaller countries of the South Pacific, because of different methods resulting in different degrees of paternalistic diplomacy.

Gregory Copley
Gregory Copley
Author
Gregory Copley is president of the Washington-based International Strategic Studies Association and editor-in-chief of the “Defense & Foreign Affairs” series of publications. Born in Australia, Copley is an entrepreneur, writer, government adviser, defense publication editor, and Member of the Order of Australia. His latest and 37th book is “The Noble State: Governance Options in an Ignoble Era.”
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