- Joined
- Sep 20, 2016
The United States, Australia, France and Britain will open new embassies in the Pacific, boost staffing levels, and engage with leaders of island nations more often in a bid to counter China's rising influence in the region, sources have told Reuters.
The battle for influence in the sparsely populated Pacific matters because each of the tiny island states has a vote at international forums like the United Nations, and they also control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean.
In response, Australia, New Zealand and the United States say they will increase economic aid and expanding their diplomatic presence to countries in the region, government officials and diplomats told Reuters.
"We are concerned about Chinese practices that lead to unsustainable debt," said a US government source with direct knowledge of Washington's plan for the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/to-counter-china-west-plans-bigger-footprint-in-pacific-sources
The battle for influence in the sparsely populated Pacific matters because each of the tiny island states has a vote at international forums like the United Nations, and they also control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean.
In response, Australia, New Zealand and the United States say they will increase economic aid and expanding their diplomatic presence to countries in the region, government officials and diplomats told Reuters.
"We are concerned about Chinese practices that lead to unsustainable debt," said a US government source with direct knowledge of Washington's plan for the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/to-counter-china-west-plans-bigger-footprint-in-pacific-sources