Kamala Harris

US Vice-President Kamala Harris has told Pacific leaders the superpower is going to give the region the "diplomatic attention" it deserves in an ...

And it's nice to see that friendship, you know, brought back to life in a meaningful way." "This is very much about the US seeking to position itself as the partner of choice in the Pacific." Our history, you know, goes back a long way. "One thing partners need to learn is the difference between presence and getting in the way." "We have an example of a development partner who's been around the Pacific for decades, but is certainly increasing their activity, and changing the way in which they engage." It also follows concerns around the Solomon Islands and China security pact, and a push by Beijing to achieve a wider security and economic agreement in the Pacific. Ardern said while US and China had been in the Pacific for some time, interest had waxed and waned. Forum Secretary General Henry Puna said the address was "very refreshing, and also very reassuring that the Americans are now fully committed to re-engaging with the Pacific in a meaningful and substantive way". "We will also work to empower and strong and united Pacific Islands Forum which will strengthen your voice on the world stage as we continue to work together. Its new initiatives also include returning peace corps to the region, appointing a US envoy to the forum and establishing a United States Agency for International Development (USAid) Regional Mission for the Pacific in Suva. US Vice-President Kamala Harris has told Pacific leaders the superpower is going to give the region the "diplomatic attention" it deserves in an "unprecedented" address during a regional meeting at a time of rising geopolitical tensions with China. Harris spoke at the invitation of Fiji PM and Forum host Frank Bainimarama, who said he "welcomed" the "powerful commitment" saying the US would become a "partner like never before".

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in the Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting on Tuesday, a senior administration official said, ...

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "In short, the vice president will be announcing that we are stepping up our game in the Pacific Islands," the senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

US Vice President Kamala Harris beams in to the Pacific Islands Forum, says the region "may not have received the diplomatic attention and support that you ...

Dr Anna Powles, senior lecturer in security studies at Massey University, said the US announcement showed it was keen to be the “partner of choice” for the Pacific region. They work for you, not the parties or people in power. “For us it is not about geopolitics…

The United States will launch its biggest Pacific push in decades as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lands in a divided Pacific forum on Wednesday.

And that’s the approach the Pacific Islands Forum is taking and that is why Pacific Forum unity is so important.” And we do it best when we can do it together and that’s the approach Australia’s taken. In a briefing note, the US State Department said US Peace Corps would also be redeployed in the region. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. But China’s ambitions to establish a military foothold in the Pacific, as well as its infrastructure investment throughout Fiji and other island nations, have forced the White House and Canberra to recalibrate their approach. During the May election campaign Labor also promised an extra $525 million over four years in development assistance.

The new efforts, to be announced by Vice President Harris, will include two additional embassies and a tripling of some aid, among other measures.

China recently failed in an attempt to strike a similar but far broader security agreement with 10 Pacific island countries, but Beijing has suggested it will try again. The Biden administration is also exploring expanding the program to additional Pacific island countries. “Of course contrasts [with China] will be made, and we would like to think that contrast looks favorably on us, where we’ve been a responsible security actor in the region, in fact, in the entire Indo-Pacific, for many decades and have helped to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.” The United States will also appoint its first envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum, which, despite infighting, has emerged as a key regional bloc. The official said the United States is not asking Pacific island nations to choose between it and China. China struck a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in April despite American objections.

The US will open two new embassies - in Tonga and Kiribati - and appoint its first-ever enjoy to the Pacific, Vice President Kamala Harris announced.

“The dialogue partners... Ms Harris said she and US President Joe Biden acknowledged the Pacific may not have previously received enough focus in the past. "It is a big milestone. Alongside a US$60 million pledge for economic assistance to the Forum Fisheries Agency, she said the US would also relaunch the Peace Corps in the Pacific. She said the US wanted to collaborate on maritime security, disaster relief and infrastructure projects that "do not result in insurmountable debt". "We are going to change that," she promised, adding the US wanted to "significantly deepen our presence in the Pacific region". The US vice president thanked Fiji President Voreqe Bainimarama for inviting her to speak at the summit and said the US was ready to "embark on a new chapter" in the Pacific.

The United States launched a major push into the Pacific on Wednesday, seeking to hold off China's advance in the region, with Vice President Kamala Harris ...

"It is a big milestone. "We are going to change that," she promised, adding the US wanted to "significantly deepen our presence in the Pacific region". The US vice president thanked Fiji President Voreqe Bainimarama for inviting her to speak at the summit and said the US was ready to "embark on a new chapter" in the Pacific.

US Vice President Kamala Harris has accused China of being "bad actors" in a virtual speech where she pledged to boost America's presence in the Pacific ...

.— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) @VPHarris, vinaka for joining us virtually at #PIFLM51. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The USA is a Pacific power that has every reason to be a closer Pacific partner to our people, especially on climate, oceans, and maritime security. Hope to host you in Fiji soon! Principles that allow all states big and small to conduct their affairs free from aggression or coercion," she said virtually on Wednesday. Stream the news you want, when you want with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. A US envoy to the Pacific Islands will also be appointed to "unite" the forum and the Peace Corps are set to be returned to the Pacific to provide further support. New to Flash? Try 1 month free.

In a speech to the Pacific Islands Forum, Vice President Kamala Harris said the U.S. would open embassies in Tonga and Kiribati amid concerns about China's ...

At an unusual news conference afterward, Wang and Bainimarama spoke for about 30 minutes and then abruptly left the stage as reporters tried to shout out questions. In 2019, both the Solomon Islands and Kiribati shifted their diplomatic recognition from self-ruling Taiwan to Beijing, which claims the island as its territory. Puna was elected secretary general last year over a Micronesian candidate, deepening the rift between Kiribati and the other nations. But there were plenty of smaller wins for Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his island-hopping tour of the region, including bilateral agreements. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the announcement in February during a Pacific tour that was the first such trip by America’s top diplomat in four decades. Last year, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to address the forum.