Case reintroduces bill for more Pacific isle engagement pina.com.fj - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pina.com.fj Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A group of lawmakers in the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus led by U.S. Rep. Ed Case reintroduced legislation Wednesday calling for a significant increase in American engagement with Pacific island countries as China and the United States compete for influence in the region.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has become a key focal point for the United States as it aggressively renews ties with Pacific Island countries. U.S. engagement with PNG will require a comprehensive approach that incorporates cross-nation security cooperation and development assistance. Traditional approaches are insufficient to meet these goals. The United States should envision a framework beyond sole reliance on its military and civilian agencies. This new framework would serve to address PNG’s unique challenges, counter China’s regional activism and undergird U.S. leadership in the Pacific.
All the Pacific Island nations invited to the foreign ministerial conference had already embraced Beijing s "One China Policy." Some of these states once had diplomatic links with Taiwan but were wooed away by Beijing s offer of financial loans,