Why US and China Compete for Influence With Pacific Island Nations
Competition is heating up between China and the US in the southern Pacific, with each seeking to build influence among island nations that haven’t received much superpower attention since World War II. The stakes rose in 2022 when the Solomon Islands signed a security accord with Beijing — a first for the region — raising fears in Australia and New Zealand, both US allies, about a possible Chinese military base in the neighborhood. That prompted a flurry of regional diplomacy and pledges of aid
Competition is heating up between China and the US in the southern Pacific, with each seeking to build influence among island nations that haven’t received much superpower attention since World War II. The stakes rose in 2022 when the Solomon Islands signed a security accord with Beijing — a first for the region — raising fears in Australia and New Zealand, both US allies, about a possible Chinese military base in the neighborhood. That prompted a flurry of regional diplomacy and pledges of aid
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