Washington, 2 February 2023 (GNP): The US has opened its first embassy in the Solomon Islands in its strategy to counter the rising influence of China in the Pacific. The Solomon Islands is an archipelago of hundreds of islands in the south Pacific. Previously, the US government closed down its embassy on Solomon Islands in 1993 after the end of the Cold War to reduce the costs of the diplomatic missions in areas having less geostrategic value for the US then.
Beijing’s agreements with the ten nations of the Pacific region have impelled the US government to increase its presence in this region, once desolated by it. The new move of the US includes increasing investment in fisheries and forestry and making these less-known island nations a new tourist destination for the tourists.
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The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, in his message welcomed this opening of the embassy in the capital of Solomon Island, Honiara, with the sure hope that this would enhance the US engagement with the nations of this region.
This re-opening of the US embassy came after Fiji Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, hinted that his country is considering reviewing its agreement with China about police training.
The signing of the security agreement between Solomon Islands and China in April 2022 raised fear among the US administration of a Chinese military base in the region.
Thus endangering the interests of Washington in this region, traditionally dominated by it.
However, neither the US nor the Fiji government confirmed any official communication between them about any new agreement or changing their already signed agreement with Beijing.
The Fifteen isle countries of the Pacific that is, Micronesia, Northern Mariana island, French Polynesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall island, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Solomon islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, New Zealand, Wallis and Futuna, and Vanuatu may be the new arena of the US and China global politics.