US deputy secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, left, with Pacific Islands Forum secretary general, Baron Waqa in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 28 August 2024 Photo: Pacific Islands Forum
The United States has "listened carefully" to Pacific Island nations in its efforts to boost its diplomatic footprint in the region, the deputy secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, says.
Campbell, who is in Nuku'alofa for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting, told journalists at a media briefing on Wednesday that Washington is rolling out initiatives across the board, including on climate change resilience, illegal fishing, education, technology, and connectivity.
He also announced the US has made a total contribution of US$25 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility - a fund endorsed by leaders to make it easier for Forum members to access climate financing for adaptation, disaster preparedness and early disaster response projects.
"Our step up here in the Pacific has been very substantial," he said, adding "it's an exciting time".
"We believe that we've listened carefully to the leadership of the PIF and individual countries, and we are trying to target our contributions directly to what we're hearing from them."
The US is one of over two dozen dialogue partners of the PIF, including China, the European Union, France and the United Kingdom, among others.
Since 2021, the US has hosted two Pacific Islands Forum Summits at the White House, opened embassies in Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu, released the first ever US-Pacific Partnership Strategy, and announced plans to provide over $8 billion in new funding for the Pacific Islands.
It has also recognised Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign and independent states and established diplomatic relationships with them; expanded USAID offices in Papua New Guinea and Fiji; returned the Peace Corps to Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu; and increased the availability of US consular services to enable easier travel.
Campbell said the US is seeking to partner and work with countries as never before, traditional partners like Australia and New Zealand, but newer partners like Japan, like South Korea, India, Britain and others.
America wants the PIF to become stronger, he said.
"We believe that institutionalisation in the Pacific at a regional level is extraordinarily important. We're devoting resources and time and attention to those efforts across the board," he added.
US deputy secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, 3rd from left, at the media briefing in Tonga on Wednesday, 28 August 2024. Photo: Pacific Islands Forum
Campbell said everything that the US is rolling out in the region "is informed by consultations", stressing that "engagement should be transparent".
He said Washington welcomed the support of any country, including Beijing, committed to improving the of living standards and the wellbeing of Pacific peoples.
However, he expressed concerns to China's "power projection".
"We do have concerns in certain areas where China has supported undemocratic elements," he said, adding "and where we've seen abuses in fishing practices, and we are concerned by the potential for power projection capabilities into a region of peace."
He further added the US was deeply committed to human rights issues and the role of democracy.
