The United States is looking to make good on its newfound commitment to this region by rolling out an ambitious new road map for the island-nations of the South Pacific.
The American government has pledged $US810 million - that's nearly $NZ1.5 billion - on a raft of new initiatives in trade, education and climate control that "seek to improve the lives and wellbeing of all Pacific Islanders".
Of particular diplomatic interest in Wellington is sure to be the Biden-Harris plan's historic announcement that the United States intends to recognise the New Zealand dependencies of the Cook Islands and Niue as "sovereign" states.
Massey University Centre for Defence and Security Studies senior lecturer Anna Powles spoke to Susie Ferguson.
