US President Joe Biden, right, stands with Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown, middle, and Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape as they participate in a group photo with other leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum as part of the US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House on September 25, 2023 in Washington. Photo: Win McNamee
A US academic says the Biden adminstration's failure to fully engage with the Pacific during its first year is what has landed them in the transactional dilemma it is experiencing as it competes with China for influence in the region.
Michael Walsh is an Affiliate Researcher at Georgetown University's Center for Australian, New Zealand, and Pacific Studies.
He was also the chair of the Asia-Pacific Security Affairs Subcommittee on the Biden Defense Working Group during the 2020 U.S. Presidential Campaign.
Mr Walsh spoke with RNZ Pacific Editor Koroi Hawkins.
