The United States expresses its support for Pacific islands that have rejected the China pact

*Paromita Das
The United States stated on Tuesday that it is committed to assisting Pacific Ocean nations. The remarks come just one day after ten Pacific nations voted down a deal with China. The US claimed that Beijing’s own actions demonstrated how opaque its offer was.

The pact’s rejection is seen as a diplomatic setback for China.

State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated that the US, like Australia, was concerned that China had offered a “shadowy” deal involving regional consultations.

Price did not gloat, instead saying the Pacific islands made their “own sovereign decisions,” echoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s tone on the US-China rivalry.
“We are committed to deepening our relationship with our Pacific Island partners and in the Indo-Pacific, including collaborating to deliver for our people,” Price told reporters.

Price emphasized concerns raised by journalists covering the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands, including a refusal to allow questions.

“When we talk about these opaque, shadowy deals, I think you only need to look at… the PRC’s efforts to obscure these very deals,” Price said, referring to China.

He claimed that Beijing went “so far as to prevent officials in the region from facing reporters in their own country.”
China proposed a pact that would include increased training for Pacific island police, sensitive marine mapping, and increased access to natural resources.