Scholar: Pacific Nations Driven by Pragmatism, US Yet to Win Hearts & Minds

Washington's efforts to bolster ties with Pacific nations saw a serious setback on the eve of the September summit with the Solomon Islands rejecting a draft US agreement, and Micronesian leaders complaining about insufficient financing, according to leaked documents seen by the Guardian.

"There is a general rule regarding international relations, all efforts should match with the interests," said Dr. Chang Ching, research fellow of the Taiwan-based Society for Strategic Studies and a lead military expert on China’s People's Liberation Army and regional security in Taiwan. "There is no free lunch that can be offered in the international society. If Washington would like to secure its leadership among Pacific island countries, it is necessary to present firm and solid contributions as said by a famous American commercial and election campaign statement: 'Where is the beef?'"

The White House kicked off a first-ever summit with Pacific islands leaders on September 28. Earlier this year, US high-ranking officials intensified visits to the region, held virtual conferences and pledged millions of dollars for the region's development. The Biden administration's activities are seen by international observers as an attempt to curb China's growing influence in the region.

However, on the eve of the summit, the embassy of Solomon Islands in New York announced that the country would not be endorsing a regional diplomatic agreement proposed by the US.

"Solomon Islands is not in a position to adopt the declaration this week and will need time to reflect on the declaration and refer the declaration through Solomon Islands’ national decision making process," read a note addressed to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, as quoted by the Guardian.

On the other hand, a leaked letter sent by ambassadors for Palau, the Federated States of Marshall Islands and the Marshall Islands to the US National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific argued that US funding proposals are insufficient.

"The current proposed assistance is inconsistent with the contributions of our islands towards the security and stability of the region, which also supports US interests in the region. The US proposed economic assistance seems predetermined and based on insufficient analysis … To put it simply: the US economic assistance is insufficient," the letter summarized.

Nonetheless, on the first day of the summit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US and Pacific nations had finally agreed on the joint declaration to strengthen their partnership. According to Reuters, the compromise was reached in exchange for "big dollar" aid. Citing US officials, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that the Biden administration would invest over $860 million in expanded programs on top of more than $1.5 billion provided in the past decade.

"The Pacific is a region neglected by the United States governments for a significant period of time," explained Dr. Chang. "The interactions for managing international relations are essentially a process of give-and-take. Washington needs to provide certain quid pro quo for getting returns from these Pacific island states. The Pacific Ocean is not the Caribbean Sea that is generally perceived as the sphere of influence of the United States. Of course, Washington is still indeed influential in the region but the United States needs to pay more effort to compensate for its long time negligence to regional affairs."

However, China's influence in the Pacific region still remains strong. Earlier, Beijing signed a comprehensive security pact with the Solomon Islands and continues to promote enhanced cooperation with the region.

Australian political analyst Sameed Basha noted in his op-ed for the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that China offers direct investments, while the US proposes "aid." When Washington says that it had given $1.5 billion to Pacific island nations in the past decade, one should bear in mind that $5 million went to strengthening democratic institutions, another $3 million were allocated to advance democracy and good governance in the region, and $180,000 "to support journalists and combat what the US calls propaganda," according to Basha. "Unfortunately, investing in democracy alone does not feed people, nor does it make economies resilient to climate change," the political analyst remarked.

For its part, the Global Times, a Chinese daily, expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the Biden administration's Pacific policies. In addition, the Pacific region "is very dissatisfied with the US promoting its anti-China strategy," the media outlet noted, citing Chen Hong, president of the Chinese Association of Australian Studies. Pacific nations are interested in beneficial cooperation with regional players instead of becoming a battleground for the US geopolitical rivalry with China, according to GT.

"It seems that all the strategic calculus of the United States nowadays is driven by tackling the possible challenges from Beijing," explained Dr. Chang. "However, as noted above, the efforts should match with the interests. The stake for a strategic competition in the Pacific region is relatively less significant between these two powers at the moment but we should never underestimate its potential in the future."