Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. president Joe Biden plans to increase diplomatic engagement with Pacific Island nations, Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific coordinator, said Monday. This includes inviting Pacific leaders to visit the White House in later this year.

Campbell’s message was presented at a U.S.–New Zealand business summit. It comes amid growing concerns about the security implications China’s increasing presence in the region. This is underlined in a pact Beijing made with the Solomon Islands last week.

Campbell spoke in a telephone call from Washington DC. He told the attendees of the summit in Auckland, that the United States was not only hosting the island leaders but also wanted to strengthen diplomatic ties and engagement with Pacific countries which had not received ambassadors for many decades.

Campbell declared, “In order for the United States to succeed in the Pacific,” Campbell added.

He said the Biden administration would also work with U.S. AID and the new U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to fund projects in the region, as well as restore the Peace Corps. Much of the region is covered by it.

Campbell claimed that the United States would increase its support for multilateral cooperation through the Pacific Islands Forum.

In the last year, the viability of the latter has been in danger as Micronesian nations initiated the process of quitting following disagreements over the leadership. They have been forced to delay the final decision regarding whether they are leaving until late in the year.

Campbell stated that the United States is more positive about the future forum, and will put in staff to help it move forward.

He said that the United States was committed to more cooperation with Pacific countries and would continue its engagement with them.

Campbell claimed that New Zealand was in the past more cautious in certain areas of security but that this would not be true going forward.

He stated, “I believe there’s an acceptance that the challenges facing the world stage today aren’t so far away – they are closer and have direct implications.”

Jacinda Ardern from New Zealand, the Prime Minister, spoke earlier at the conference. She said that the area was experiencing more assertiveness, aggression, and hostilities, but did not mention the root cause.

She said that she didn’t believe there was an “exposed flank” when it came to New Zealand security arrangements. “We are strong partners and have good relationships. We’ve also seen a growing interest in this region.