U.S. Institute of Peace

03/20/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/20/2024 06:05

In the Pacific, U.S. Risks Letting Down its Closest Partners

As the United States seeks to shore up alliances and maintain regional stability amid increasing Chinese competition in the Pacific, it needs to mend strained relations with the island states that are its closest partners. The U.S. government describes Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands as "the bedrock of the U.S. role in the Pacific" and "crucial" to U.S. defense there. After months of delay that have undermined those relationships, the United States this month renewed the funding that underpins their government budgets. But significant bilateral strains will require further U.S. attention.