Image Credit: File: Jonathan Ernst/ Reuters. Retrieved from aljazeera.com
Joe Biden, the president of the United States, is set to announce the opening of new embassies on the Cook Islands and Niue as part of a charm offensive to block Chinese inroads into the South Pacific.
The announcement about the new diplomatic missions on Sunday came as Biden prepared to welcome Pacific Island leaders to Washington, DC, for a two-day US-Pacific Island Forum Summit.
Talks are expected to heavily focus on the impact of climate change in the region.
Biden has put a premium on improving relations in the Pacific amid rising US concerns about China’s growing military and economic influence. Plans about the embassies were confirmed by two senior administration officials who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity before the formal announcement.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would use the summit 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”.
The leaders were scheduled to be feted on Sunday at a Baltimore Ravens football game and to visit a Coast Guard cutter in Baltimore Harbor for a briefing by the commandant of the US Coast Guard on combatting illegal fishing and other maritime issues.
Pacific Island leaders 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.