Conservative think tank pushes US to continue engagement in Pacific

washington — 

U.S. engagement with a drawstring of Pacific Island nations indispensable continue, careless of which enactment wins the White House, the blimpish deliberation vessel Heritage Foundation said successful a recently published report.

The islands, situated betwixt Hawaii and Australia, are the latest beforehand of contention betwixt Washington and Beijing.

In the 45-page report, Andrew Harding, a probe adjunct successful the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, argues that it's clip to marque the lawsuit to taxpayers and Washington policymakers that investing successful the Pacific Islands is wealth well-spent due to the fact that it "counters Chinese ambitions" and denies Beijing a foothold "that tin endanger U.S. nationalist information interests and complicate imaginable aboriginal subject operations successful Asia."

That statement appears convincing to immoderate China hawks successful the Republican Party.

Alexander Velez-Green, erstwhile nationalist information advisor to Republican Senator Josh Hawley, called the study "a compelling vision," telling VOA successful a statement, "The Pacific Islands are cardinal terrain successful America's efforts to equilibrium powerfulness against China."

Likewise, erstwhile Asia advisor successful the Trump medication Alexander Gray said the Heritage study would payment "whoever is president successful January 2025."

"I expect a Trump 2.0 would lone grow connected this important work," Gray wrote successful effect to VOA's emailed questions.

The Heritage Foundation present employs galore erstwhile Trump medication officials. Last twelvemonth it released Project 2025, a arguable bid of proposals to unit and signifier argumentation for a 2nd Trump White House. Former President Donald Trump has sought to region himself from the effort, adjacent arsenic his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, claims it defines his policies.

John Hennessey-Niland, who served arsenic U.S. ambassador to Palau from 2020 to 2022, argues that Harding's connection whitethorn person policymakers successful Washington but addresses lone 1 of the region's problems.

"The Pacific Islands are acrophobic astir PRC interference and coercion, but it is not the lone menace they face. Other concerns see clime and their ain capableness to supply for their people," Hennessey-Niland told VOA via a statement, utilizing the abbreviation for the People's Republic of China.

Kathryn Paik agrees. She served arsenic manager for the Pacific and Southeast Asia astatine the National Security Council nether President Joe Biden and present works arsenic a elder chap astatine the Center for Strategic and International Studies successful Washington.

"Making U.S. Pacific engagement 'all astir China' neglects precisely what tin alteration the U.S.-Pacific narration to turn deeper than thing China could ever anticipation to person — our history, our civilization and our shared values," she told VOA successful effect to emailed questions.

Harding said helium is conscionable saying the quiescent portion retired loud.

"America's superior operator is U.S.-China contention and the threats that it poses to America's nationalist interests and the information of its people," helium told VOA Tuesday successful an interview.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has traveled to the Pacific Islands to conscionable 1 connected 1 with the leaders of Fiji and Papua New Guinea. He besides has hosted galore different Pacific Islands heads of authorities successful Beijing.

In contrast, the White House has lone held associated meetings with Pacific Islands leaders, and Biden has not traveled to the nations.

The Chinese Embassy successful Washington did not respond to VOA's petition for comment.

While analysts disagree implicit the report's rationale for deeper engagement successful the Pacific, they accidental galore of the 31 argumentation recommendations person bipartisan appeal, including appointing a peculiar envoy for the Pacific Islands, creating much positions astatine cardinal departments to oversee outreach and readying a statesmanlike sojourn to a Pacific Islands state.

Greg Brown, a elder expert astatine the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the assignment of a peculiar envoy is captious to sustained U.S. engagement.

He said the existent situation is convincing the 535 members of the U.S. Congress to summation overseas assistance to the Pacific Islands erstwhile fewer American voters adjacent cognize wherever they are, overmuch little wherefore they're important to U.S. nationalist security.

"Anything requiring backing from Congress volition beryllium a chore — not due to the fact that the demands are ample oregon fiscal-burden heavy, but due to the fact that members and staffs request changeless reminders wherefore securing U.S. interests successful this portion are imperative," Brown told VOA successful an interview.

He added that the peculiar envoy should beryllium a "heavyweight assignment ... with the receptor of the president" and the "diplomatic accomplishment to navigate and thrust changes" crossed Washington.