AAMER MADHANI and WILL WEISSERT
Updated Mon, September 25, 2023
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday told leaders from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum that he has heard their warnings about the impact of climate change on their region and that his administration is committed to helping them meet the challenge.
Pacific islands leaders gathered Monday for the start of a two-day Washington summit. Many have been critical of rich countries for not doing enough to control climate change despite being responsible for much of the problem, and for profiting from loans provided to vulnerable nations to mitigate the effects.
At the summit’s start, Biden said his administration is requesting Congress approve $200 million in new assistance for the region, including financing to help the islands prepare for climate and natural hazards and improve infrastructure. Biden has put a premium on improving ties in the Pacific at a time of rising U.S. concern about China’s growing military and economic influence.
“I want you to know I hear you, the people in the United States and around the world hear you,” Biden told the leaders. “We hear your warnings of a rising sea and (that) they pose an existential threat to your nations. We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood, or membership of the U.N. as a result of a climate crisis. Today, the United States is making it clear that this is our position as well."
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As part of the summit, the U.S. is formally establishing diplomatic relations with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took part in separate signing ceremonies with Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to mark the new elevated relations.
“Today, we celebrate shared history, common values and people-to-people ties between our two nations, Tagelagi said at the Niue ceremony. ”We have been looking forward to this day.”
Brown welcomed the elevation of U.S. relations with the Cook Islands and said the U.S.-Pacific islands partnership could be an important tool for helping the region achieve its aspirations.
“These milestones celebrate areas of change and demonstrate that with unshakable resolve and leadership, remarkable achievements are possible,” Brown said.
The forum includes Australia, the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Kiribati signed onto a $29.1 million partnership with the U.S.-backed Millennium Corporation Challenge. The group will assist the island country with dozens of low-lying atolls and help boost its workforce.
Some of the leaders attended an NFL game in Baltimore on Sunday and visited a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the city's harbor for a briefing on combating illegal fishing and other maritime issues. Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region to collaborate and train with Pacific islands nations.
At last year's summit, the White House unveiled its Pacific strategy, an outline of its plan to assist the region’s leaders on pressing issues like climate change, maritime security and protecting the region from overfishing. The administration pledged the U.S. would add $810 million in new aid for Pacific islands nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to stymie the impacts of climate change.
The leaders also met Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for closed-door talks focused on climate change. Blinken and U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield were hosting the leaders at the State Department for a dinner.
Kerry and Samantha Power, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, will host the leaders on Tuesday for climate talks with members of the philanthropic community. The leaders also plan to meet with members of Congress. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will host a roundtable with the leaders and members of the business community.
Power last month traveled to Fiji to open a new USAID mission that will manage agency programs in nine Pacific islands countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. The U.S. this year has opened embassies in Solomon Islands and Tonga, and is on track to open an embassy in Vanuatu early next year.
Biden earlier this year had to cut short a planned visit to the Indo-Pacific, scrapping what was to be a historic stop in Papua New Guinea, as well as a visit to Australia for a gathering with fellow leaders of the so-called Quad partnership so he could focus on debt limit talks in Washington. He would have been the first sitting U.S. president to visit Papua New Guinea.
Biden is set to honor Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a state visit next month.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday told leaders from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum that he has heard their warnings about the impact of climate change on their region and that his administration is committed to helping them meet the challenge.
Pacific islands leaders gathered Monday for the start of a two-day Washington summit. Many have been critical of rich countries for not doing enough to control climate change despite being responsible for much of the problem, and for profiting from loans provided to vulnerable nations to mitigate the effects.
At the summit’s start, Biden said his administration is requesting Congress approve $200 million in new assistance for the region, including financing to help the islands prepare for climate and natural hazards and improve infrastructure. Biden has put a premium on improving ties in the Pacific at a time of rising U.S. concern about China’s growing military and economic influence.
“I want you to know I hear you, the people in the United States and around the world hear you,” Biden told the leaders. “We hear your warnings of a rising sea and (that) they pose an existential threat to your nations. We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood, or membership of the U.N. as a result of a climate crisis. Today, the United States is making it clear that this is our position as well."
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As part of the summit, the U.S. is formally establishing diplomatic relations with two South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands and Niue. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took part in separate signing ceremonies with Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to mark the new elevated relations.
“Today, we celebrate shared history, common values and people-to-people ties between our two nations, Tagelagi said at the Niue ceremony. ”We have been looking forward to this day.”
Brown welcomed the elevation of U.S. relations with the Cook Islands and said the U.S.-Pacific islands partnership could be an important tool for helping the region achieve its aspirations.
“These milestones celebrate areas of change and demonstrate that with unshakable resolve and leadership, remarkable achievements are possible,” Brown said.
The forum includes Australia, the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Kiribati signed onto a $29.1 million partnership with the U.S.-backed Millennium Corporation Challenge. The group will assist the island country with dozens of low-lying atolls and help boost its workforce.
Some of the leaders attended an NFL game in Baltimore on Sunday and visited a U.S. Coast Guard cutter in the city's harbor for a briefing on combating illegal fishing and other maritime issues. Biden announced Monday that later this year he would deploy a U.S. Coast Guard vessel to the region to collaborate and train with Pacific islands nations.
At last year's summit, the White House unveiled its Pacific strategy, an outline of its plan to assist the region’s leaders on pressing issues like climate change, maritime security and protecting the region from overfishing. The administration pledged the U.S. would add $810 million in new aid for Pacific islands nations over the next decade, including $130 million on efforts to stymie the impacts of climate change.
The leaders also met Monday with Biden's special envoy on climate, John Kerry, for closed-door talks focused on climate change. Blinken and U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield were hosting the leaders at the State Department for a dinner.
Kerry and Samantha Power, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, will host the leaders on Tuesday for climate talks with members of the philanthropic community. The leaders also plan to meet with members of Congress. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will host a roundtable with the leaders and members of the business community.
Power last month traveled to Fiji to open a new USAID mission that will manage agency programs in nine Pacific islands countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. The U.S. this year has opened embassies in Solomon Islands and Tonga, and is on track to open an embassy in Vanuatu early next year.
Biden earlier this year had to cut short a planned visit to the Indo-Pacific, scrapping what was to be a historic stop in Papua New Guinea, as well as a visit to Australia for a gathering with fellow leaders of the so-called Quad partnership so he could focus on debt limit talks in Washington. He would have been the first sitting U.S. president to visit Papua New Guinea.
Biden is set to honor Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with a state visit next month.
Biden makes new pledges to Pacific island leaders as China's influence grows
Steve Holland, David Brunnstrom and Kirsty Needham
Updated Mon, September 25, 2023
U.S. President Biden hosts a summit with Pacific Island nation leaders in Washington, U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden met Pacific island leaders for a second White House summit in just over a year on Monday, part of a charm offensive aimed at curbing inroads by China into a region Washington considers strategically crucial.
Before welcoming the island leaders, gathered under the umbrella of the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), Biden announced U.S. diplomatic recognition of two more Pacific islands nations, the Cook Islands and Niue.
"The United States is committed to ensuring an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, prosperous, and secure. We’re committed to working with all the nations around this table to achieve that goal," Biden said at the welcoming ceremony.
Biden pledged to work with Congress to provide $200 million more in funding for projects in the region aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, spurring economic growth, countering illegal fishing and improving public health, according to a document issued after a working lunch with the group.
"These new programs and activities continue to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to work together with the Pacific Islands to expand and deepen our cooperation in the years ahead," the document said.
A joint statement said the sides agreed to hold another summit in 2025 and political engagements every two years thereafter.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, the island forum's chair, called the summit "an opportunity ... to develop our partnerships for prosperity." He urged Washington "to actively engage at the highest level" in the 52nd PIF leaders meeting he would host in a few weeks to endorse its 2050 Strategy.
U.S. WANTS TO HELP ISLAND NATIONS FEND OFF CHINA
Biden hosted an inaugural summit of 14 Pacific island nations a year ago and was to meet them again in Papua New Guinea in May. That meeting was scrapped when a U.S. debt- ceiling crisis forced Biden to cut short an Asia trip.
Last year, his administration pledged to help islanders fend off China's "economic coercion" and a joint declaration resolved to strengthen their partnership, saying they shared a vision for a region where "democracy will be able to flourish."
Biden said recognizing the Cook Islands and Niue would "enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples' lives."
He highlighted a personal link to the region - an uncle killed in World War Two after crash landing off the coast of Papua New Guinea. He said the summit, as then, was "to build a better world."
In Baltimore on Sunday, Pacific island leaders visited a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and were briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
They also attended Sunday's National Football League (NFL) game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts. Dozens of NFL players are of Pacific Islander heritage.
SOME SKIP SUMMIT
Representatives of all 18 PIF members attended the summit, but not all at leader level.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened ties with China, did not attend, and a senior Biden administration official said the U.S. was "disappointed" by that.
Washington appears to have made no progress on offers of substantial infrastructure funding and expanded aid to the Solomons. Sogavare visited China in July, announcing a policing agreement with Beijing that builds on a security pact signed last year.
The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands.
Meg Keen, director of Pacific Island Programs at Australia's Lowy Institute, said that although the U.S. had opened new embassies and a USAID office in the region since last year's summit, Congress had yet to approve most of the funding pledges made last year.
She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization." Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman also did not attend the summit. He was elected two weeks ago to replace Ishmael Kalsakau, who lost a no-confidence vote for actions including signing a security pact with U.S. ally Australia.
The U.S. is still negotiating to open an embassy in Vanuatu, but has not significantly increased engagement with that nation, which counts China as its largest external creditor. China signed a policing agreement with Vanuatu last month.
A senior Biden administration official said the U.S. was on track to open the Vanuatu embassy by early next year.
Fiji has welcomed the stronger U.S. regional presence as making the Pacific "more secure," but Kiribati, one of the most remote Pacific island states, 2,500 miles (4,000km) southwest of Hawaii, said this year it plans to upgrade a former World War Two airstrip with Chinese assistance. A $29 million program to assist Kiribati youth find work internationally was signed at the summit.
Washington renewed agreements this year with Palau and Micronesia that give it exclusive military access to strategic parts of the Pacific, but has yet to do so with the Marshall Islands, which wants more money to deal with the legacy of massive U.S. nuclear testing in the 1940s and 50s.
The summit statement said the U.S. "plans to work expeditiously to meet the needs of the Republic of the Marshall Islands through ongoing Compact negotiations" and was committed to addressing its "ongoing environmental, public health concerns, and other welfare concerns."
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom and Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Don Durfee, Grant McCool and Gerry Doyle)
Biden pledges more aid to Pacific islands to counter growing Chinese influence
Siosifa Pomana in Nuku'alofa, Tonga, and Julian Borger in Washington
THE GUARDIAN
Mon, September 25, 2023
Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP
Joe Biden has offered more economic aid to Pacific islands at a White House meeting with leaders from the region aimed at bolstering US engagement in the face of a growing Chinese presence.
The president also announced formal US recognition of two new island nations, the Cook Islands and Niue, at the start of the Pacific Islands Forum, two days of Washington meetings with leaders from the group’s 18 members.
Looking back on the decisive battles fought in the Pacific 80 years ago, Biden told the summit: “Like our forebears during world war two, we know that a great deal of the history of our world will be written across the Pacific over the coming years.”
Biden pledged to work with Congress to provide $200m more in funding for the region, according to the White House.
There was initial confusion of just how much money the US was going to give the region. In his remarks, Biden had mistakenly said the US would invest $40bn, then a US official said the amount should have been $40m for Pacific island infrastructure, and that was amended again to $200m in a written statement after the meeting.
The visiting leaders having been feted by the administration, brought down from New York where most attended the UN general assembly, on a special train to Baltimore where they were taken to an American football game at the Baltimore Ravens’ stadium. There they were brought out on field and celebrated for “for their roles as American friends in the Indo-Pacific”.
Related: Biden seeks to win over Pacific leaders as Solomon Islands turns back on talks
The Pacific leaders were also taken onboard a US Coast Guard cutter in Baltimore Harbor and they were briefed by the Coast Guard commandant, Adm Linda Fagan, on operations to combat illegal fishing and manage maritime domains. Over the next two days they will meet top members of the administration. The secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will host a dinner for the visitors on Monday night, and on the second night, the Australian embassy will host a barbecue.
“I think what the Biden administration has been able to do is to step up our game considerably in a short period of time in the Indo-Pacific,” a senior administration official said. “We have deep moral, strategic and historic interests here. And I think we’re reaffirming that promise.”
However, the US charm offensive, aimed at clawing back influence in the region from China, suffered a setback before it started, with the announcement by Solomon Islands prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, now closely aligned with Beijing, that he would not attend.
“I think it’d be fair to say that the United States is disappointed” in Sogavare’s decision, a senior administration official said.
Sogavare went home over the weekend after attending the UN general assembly. He refused to sign on to a US-Pacific partnership agreement last year, but did sign a security agreement with China last year, and agreed to increase cooperation on law enforcement and security matters.
Mon, September 25, 2023
Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP
Joe Biden has offered more economic aid to Pacific islands at a White House meeting with leaders from the region aimed at bolstering US engagement in the face of a growing Chinese presence.
The president also announced formal US recognition of two new island nations, the Cook Islands and Niue, at the start of the Pacific Islands Forum, two days of Washington meetings with leaders from the group’s 18 members.
Looking back on the decisive battles fought in the Pacific 80 years ago, Biden told the summit: “Like our forebears during world war two, we know that a great deal of the history of our world will be written across the Pacific over the coming years.”
Biden pledged to work with Congress to provide $200m more in funding for the region, according to the White House.
There was initial confusion of just how much money the US was going to give the region. In his remarks, Biden had mistakenly said the US would invest $40bn, then a US official said the amount should have been $40m for Pacific island infrastructure, and that was amended again to $200m in a written statement after the meeting.
The visiting leaders having been feted by the administration, brought down from New York where most attended the UN general assembly, on a special train to Baltimore where they were taken to an American football game at the Baltimore Ravens’ stadium. There they were brought out on field and celebrated for “for their roles as American friends in the Indo-Pacific”.
Related: Biden seeks to win over Pacific leaders as Solomon Islands turns back on talks
The Pacific leaders were also taken onboard a US Coast Guard cutter in Baltimore Harbor and they were briefed by the Coast Guard commandant, Adm Linda Fagan, on operations to combat illegal fishing and manage maritime domains. Over the next two days they will meet top members of the administration. The secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will host a dinner for the visitors on Monday night, and on the second night, the Australian embassy will host a barbecue.
“I think what the Biden administration has been able to do is to step up our game considerably in a short period of time in the Indo-Pacific,” a senior administration official said. “We have deep moral, strategic and historic interests here. And I think we’re reaffirming that promise.”
However, the US charm offensive, aimed at clawing back influence in the region from China, suffered a setback before it started, with the announcement by Solomon Islands prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, now closely aligned with Beijing, that he would not attend.
“I think it’d be fair to say that the United States is disappointed” in Sogavare’s decision, a senior administration official said.
Sogavare went home over the weekend after attending the UN general assembly. He refused to sign on to a US-Pacific partnership agreement last year, but did sign a security agreement with China last year, and agreed to increase cooperation on law enforcement and security matters.
From left, the Pacific Islands Forum secretary general, Henry Puna; President David Kabua of the Marshall Islands; Mark Brown, prime minister of Cook Islands; President Surangel Whipps Jr of Palau; President Wesley Simina of the Federated States of Micronesia; and Premier Dalton Tagelagi of Niue attend the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts NFL football game on Sunday in Baltimore.
Photograph: Nick Wass/APMore
The prime minister of Vanuatu, Sato Kilman, did not attend as he had to return to face a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
Part of the economic infrastructure aid Biden is offering includes secure undersea cable connectivity to Pacific island nations. However, the funding plans have to be submitted to Congress, where Republicans are threatening to shut down government in a standoff over spending.
As well as recognition for the Cook Islands and Niue, the administration has opened two new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga. A USAid regional mission in Fiji and a US embassy in Vanuatu are planned for early next year in an effort to make up for decades of diplomatic neglect, as the Pacific becomes the focus of strategic competition with China.
The Pacific leaders were expected to push for more support for the climate crisis among other matters at the talks, and were due to meet the US climate envoy, John Kerry on Monday, where they will raise their fears that their nations will be wiped off the map.
In his remarks, Biden said the US heard their concerns about the “existential threat” posed by the climate emergency.
“We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood or membership at the UN as a result of a climate crisis,” the president told the Pacific leaders.
Related:Pacific pulling power: western leaders rush to region in effort to counter China
Biden hosted a first summit with 14 Pacific island nations a year ago at which his administration promised to work harder with allies and partners to address their needs.
There was “no question that there is some role that the PRC [China] has played in all this … Its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus,” AFP reported, citing a senior White House official on condition of anonymity.
Dr Meg Keen, director of the Pacific islands program at the Lowy Institute, described the summit as “historic”, and it comes after Biden pulled out of a visit to Papua New Guinea earlier this year to focus on debt ceiling negotiations.
“Given there has been a long absence, the US has been working quite quickly to make up lost ground,” Keen said.
“They have got back into the region. The region is waiting to see if the big commitments are going to be delivered.”
During the 2022 summit the US announced more than $800m in assistance to island states. The White House said in a statement that this year’s summit would reaffirm the US commitment to shared regional priorities and cooperation on key issues including the climate crisis and maritime security.
Tonga’s prime minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, told reporters the upcoming meeting was “an opportunity for us to share our concerns”.
In a high-level meeting in New York last week ahead of the summit, Sovaleni said Tonga’s top priorities were the climate crisis and oceans, and that he would seek new investors to support these challenges.
“The urgency for change is evident,” Sovaleni said.
Sovaleni is expected to discuss how the US can support better access to climate finance and improved oceans security and management.
The secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, told an event in New York last week that he hoped the summit would bring concrete actions on issues including the climate crisis.
Leaders at the US-Pacific Island summit in September 2022.
The prime minister of Vanuatu, Sato Kilman, did not attend as he had to return to face a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
Part of the economic infrastructure aid Biden is offering includes secure undersea cable connectivity to Pacific island nations. However, the funding plans have to be submitted to Congress, where Republicans are threatening to shut down government in a standoff over spending.
As well as recognition for the Cook Islands and Niue, the administration has opened two new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga. A USAid regional mission in Fiji and a US embassy in Vanuatu are planned for early next year in an effort to make up for decades of diplomatic neglect, as the Pacific becomes the focus of strategic competition with China.
The Pacific leaders were expected to push for more support for the climate crisis among other matters at the talks, and were due to meet the US climate envoy, John Kerry on Monday, where they will raise their fears that their nations will be wiped off the map.
In his remarks, Biden said the US heard their concerns about the “existential threat” posed by the climate emergency.
“We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood or membership at the UN as a result of a climate crisis,” the president told the Pacific leaders.
Related:Pacific pulling power: western leaders rush to region in effort to counter China
Biden hosted a first summit with 14 Pacific island nations a year ago at which his administration promised to work harder with allies and partners to address their needs.
There was “no question that there is some role that the PRC [China] has played in all this … Its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus,” AFP reported, citing a senior White House official on condition of anonymity.
Dr Meg Keen, director of the Pacific islands program at the Lowy Institute, described the summit as “historic”, and it comes after Biden pulled out of a visit to Papua New Guinea earlier this year to focus on debt ceiling negotiations.
“Given there has been a long absence, the US has been working quite quickly to make up lost ground,” Keen said.
“They have got back into the region. The region is waiting to see if the big commitments are going to be delivered.”
During the 2022 summit the US announced more than $800m in assistance to island states. The White House said in a statement that this year’s summit would reaffirm the US commitment to shared regional priorities and cooperation on key issues including the climate crisis and maritime security.
Tonga’s prime minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, told reporters the upcoming meeting was “an opportunity for us to share our concerns”.
In a high-level meeting in New York last week ahead of the summit, Sovaleni said Tonga’s top priorities were the climate crisis and oceans, and that he would seek new investors to support these challenges.
“The urgency for change is evident,” Sovaleni said.
Sovaleni is expected to discuss how the US can support better access to climate finance and improved oceans security and management.
The secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum, Henry Puna, told an event in New York last week that he hoped the summit would bring concrete actions on issues including the climate crisis.
Leaders at the US-Pacific Island summit in September 2022.
Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Puna said the Pacific island region had gone from a period of strategic neglect a decade ago to a period of being a subject of strategic interest, competition and “manipulation” today – a reference to the geopolitical rivalry for influence in the region between the US and China.
Biden announces new diplomatic ties with two Pacific Island nations
Puna said the Pacific island region had gone from a period of strategic neglect a decade ago to a period of being a subject of strategic interest, competition and “manipulation” today – a reference to the geopolitical rivalry for influence in the region between the US and China.
Biden announces new diplomatic ties with two Pacific Island nations
Kyla Guilfoil and Molly Roecker
Mon, September 25, 2023
President Joe Biden announced new diplomatic relations with two Pacific Island nations, the Cook Islands and Niue, on Monday at his second annual summit hosting Pacific Island leaders at the White House.
The move is part of the administration’s focus to counter China’s influence in the region.
Biden said in a statement Monday that the new relations with the two nations would deepen the U.S.' cooperation in addressing climate change, protecting maritime borders and marine resources and advancing "a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
A senior administration official said in a call with reporters outlining the summit that while there was no question that China's "assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus," the administration is focused on showing Pacific Island nations that its work with "like-minded partners" can create "viable alternatives that will work for Pacific island nations."
The White House released a joint statement with the 18 Pacific Island nations attending the summit Monday, reaffirming the declaration about the U.S.-Pacific Partnership that the countries made at last year's summit, which aimed to strengthen cooperation through trade, security and diplomatic ties.
The partnership "outlined our shared vision for a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity, where individuals can reach their potential, the environment can thrive, and democracy can flourish," Monday's statement said.
The summit begins with Biden welcoming the leaders to the White House on Monday morning, followed by a working lunch. In the afternoon, Biden's special envoy for climate change, John Kerry, will join the leaders for discussions about the issue, the senior administration official said.
Monday evening, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United Nations Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield will host a dinner at the State Department, where the Cook Islands and Niue are expected to be recognized diplomatically.
The summit continues Tuesday, when Kerry will host a breakfast with Samantha Power, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development; the Pacific Island leaders; and the philanthropic community to further discuss climate change. The visiting leaders will also meet with members of Congress and attend a roundtable with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about trade and investment, the senior official said.
Beyond the diplomatic welcome to the Cook Islands and Niue, Biden will look to open an embassy in Vanuatu by “early next year,” the senior official said. The administration will also announce multimillion-dollar projects in infrastructure across the Pacific Island nations, including an undersea cable project to strengthen internet connectivity, the official said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
US recognizes Cook Islands and Niue as independent states
Betsy Klein and Donald Judd, CNN
Mon, September 25, 2023
The US is formally establishing diplomatic relations with a pair of Pacific Island nations Monday, recognizing the Cook Islands and Niue for the first time.
The recognition comes as President Joe Biden seeks to strengthen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region as a counter to China’s rising influence, something that’s been a major priority since he took office. The administration has worked to deepen its engagement with Pacific Island nations, and hosted the Pacific Island Forum leaders Monday at the White House.
Biden said in a pair of statements that he was “proud” to recognize Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign, independent states.
Niue, Biden said, “plays a critical and constructive role in the Pacific, including supporting the region’s sustainable development, security, and marine protection and ocean conservation.”
He continued, “Today’s announcement will enable us to deepen our cooperation with Niue on these challenges and more – from tackling the climate crisis, to protecting maritime borders and marine resources, to building sustainable economic growth, to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
And the announcement with the Cook Islands, Biden said, “will enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples’ lives – from countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to combating climate change, to building inclusive economic growth, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and beyond.”
Biden unveiled new infrastructure funding for Pacific Island partner nations, and announce $10 million through the Quad partnership to improve maritime domain awareness in the Pacific. The PIF is made up of leaders from Nauru, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Samoa, and Tonga.
Biden hosted the leaders for a summit meeting and subsequent working lunch. They will also attend a roundtable with special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry before an evening dinner hosted by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“We know a great deal of the history of the world will be written across the Pacific over the coming years. We owe it to the next generation to help write that story together, to do the hard work, the historic work. … Today, let’s recommit to that goal and let’s recommit to each other,” Biden said as the leaders gathered in the East Room.
“Our objective is to build a better world,” through “stronger partnerships with each other,” he said, citing the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands and Niue, as well as new economic agreements, new US Embassies in Tonga and the Solomon Islands, the return of the Peace Corps to some countries, and the doubling of academic exchanges for Pacific Island students.
US officials will take the opportunity during the Monday reception to formally celebrate the news that the US is officially opening diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands and Niue.
In addition to the new diplomatic relationships, the official said that the summit will see the United States announce steps “to provide secure undersea cable connectivity for Pacific Island nations – something that many of these nations need – where internet speed and connectivity is not as reliable as it should be, and where we all benefit.”
And the Quad partnership – an informal collaboration between Australia, India, Japan and the United States – will announce it is expanding 2022’s Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative to the Pacific Island region with a $10 million investment “to improve maritime domain awareness,” amidst an increasingly bellicose China.
During the meeting, Biden also touted US investment in the region, including $40 billion for infrastructure and connectivity, as well as a new microfinance facility and a $600 million agreement for sustainable development on the Pacific Island fisheries.
And he announced a new military partnership: “This we shall send the first US Coast Guard vessel solely dedicated to collaborate and train with Pacific Island nations,” he said, adding that the US will invest $11 million in maritime domain awareness technology to the region.
Biden also offered assurances to the leaders on climate change: “I want you to know I hear you. The people in United States and around the world hear you. We hear your warnings of a rising sea – that they pose an existential threat to your nations. We hear your calls for reassurance that you never, never, never will lose your statehood, or membership of the UN as result. climate crisis. Today, the United States is making it clear that this is our position as well.”
US establishes official ties with the Cook Islands, Niue ahead of Pacific Island summit
Miranda Nazzaro
Mon, September 25, 2023
The United States established official ties with a pair of Pacific Island nations on Monday ahead of the start of President Biden’s summit with the region, marking the White House’s latest attempt to secure a greater American presence in the region.
In a statement Monday, Biden said he is “proud” to announce that the U.S. officially recognizes the Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states, setting Washington up for diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The recognition of the Cook Islands will allow the U.S. to expand its partnership with the nation, which dates back to World War II when U.S. military airport runways were built in parts of the island, Biden said.
He said he hopes this extended partnership will allow the nations to “tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples’ lives—from countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to combatting climate change, to building inclusive economic growth, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and beyond.”
With regards to Niue, the president said he hopes the U.S. can deepen its cooperation with the nation over tackling sustainable development, security, marine protection and ocean conservation in the region.
The move comes amid the White House’s continued efforts to push back on China’s growing military and economic influence in the region. Biden said the U.S. expects to work closely with the Cook Islands, Niue and other Pacific Island nations to “bolster Pacific regionalism.”
Biden welcomed Pacific Island leaders on Monday for the start of a two-day U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Summit, where leaders will lay out the objectives of the United States’ first-ever Pacific Partnership Strategy, which was unveiled last year.
The summit is slated to involve several nations including Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands and Niue. Official meetings are expected to involve Biden, senior members of the administration and members of Congress.
The summit involves the president “following up on his pledge to take our commitment and our engagement in the Pacific region to the next level,” officials said.
Pressed over if the United States’ competition with China is behind the renewal of this engagement, officials said it is a factor.
At the United Nations last week, Biden said he is not seeking conflict with China but warned the U.S. will “push back on aggression and intimidation.”
Leaders of the group were set to ride a special Amtrak train from New York to Baltimore on Sunday, where they attended a Ravens game and appeared on the field to “be recognized for their roles as American friends in the Indo-Pacific.” They were expected to go on a Coast Guard ship in Baltimore later Sunday to receive a briefing on maritime issues and U.S. efforts to combat illegal fishing before attending the summit on Monday.
At Pacific Island Summit, White House recognizes sovereignty of Niue, Cook Islands
A.L. Lee & Clyde Hughes
Mon, September 25, 2023
President Joe Biden (R) smiles with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown as Biden hosts the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House in Washington on Monday. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI
Sept. 25 (UPI) -- During the second annual Pacific Island Summit at the White House on Monday the United States for the first time recognized Niue and the Cook Islands as sovereign and independent states.
The summit, created to strengthen the U.S. engagement in the Far East amongst rising tensions with China and North Korea, also was attended by Australia and New Zealand and others.
U.S. President Joe Biden previously had pledged $810 million to support major industries and strengthen defense in the island nations where the United States has been seeking new security agreements.
"Niue plays a critical and constructive role in the Pacific, including supporting the region's sustainable development, security, and marine protection and ocean conservation," Biden said in a statement.
"Today's announcement will enable us to deepen our cooperation with Niue on these challenges and more -- from tackling the climate crisis to protecting maritime borders and marine resources to building sustainable economic growth to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region."
Biden (C) sits with Brown (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R). Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI
Biden said the United States has a long history of cooperation with the Cook Islands dating back to World War II, when the U.S. military built airport runways on the northernmost atoll Penrhyn and in Aitutaki.
"Today's announcement will enable us to expand the scope of this enduring partnership as we seek to tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples' lives -- from countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to combatting climate change, to building inclusive economic growth, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and beyond," Biden said.
The two-day event is aimed at strengthening diplomatic relations in the Pacific Island countries to counter China's influence. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI
The Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare skipped the summit after attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman faced a no-confidence vote in the nation's parliament and did not attend.
Sogavare's absence that was especially notable after his country signed an agreement with China in July that laid the groundwork for their strategic cooperation on a range of security and law enforcement efforts.
In recognizing the Cook Islands as a sovereign nation on Monday, President Joe Biden noted that the United States has a long history of cooperation with the islands dating back to World War II, when the U.S. military built airport runways on the northernmost atoll Penrhyn and in Aitutaki. Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI
Instead, Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele attended in place of Sogavare, who said he had urgent government matters to attend to at home.
Administration officials said they were "disappointed" that Sogavare had "chosen not to come to this very special" two-day summit, while the other attendees got together Sunday for a Baltimore Ravens game, where they were recognized as "American friends in the Indo-Pacific."
Biden and the remaining leaders sat down with administration officials and lawmakers in Congress Monday to discuss the growing military threat posed by Beijing as well as North Korea's expanding nuclear program.
The president formed the bloc one year ago in response to China turning more aggressive toward its neighbors in the region while taking steps to expand communist influence far beyond its borders.
The summit served as "an opportunity for the president to strengthen ties with the Pacific Islands and discuss how we address complex global challenges like tackling the existential threat of climate change, advancing economic growth and promoting sustainable development," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a Sunday press briefing.
In his speech to the U.N. last week, Biden said the United States would not seek conflict with China but would "push back on aggression and intimidation" by America's biggest trading partner.
Biden viewed the summit as a way to strategically reengage with the entire Pacific region as Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang have stiffened their alliance amid the war in Ukraine, the White House said.
"There's also no question that there is some role that the [China] has played in all this," administration officials said. "No question that its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus."
"But what we're really focused on doing is showing our Pacific Island friends that the United States, working with like-minded partners, can provide viable alternatives that will work for Pacific island nation," they added.
The meeting comes on the heels of the Quad meeting on Saturday, in which the foreign ministers of the United States, Australia, India and Japan called for stronger security cooperation between Pacific nations in an effort to deter a potential weapons deal between Russia and North Korea.
