Pacific islands a key U.S. military buffer to China's ambitions, report says

Summary

This article by Kirsty Needham, writing for Reuters, makes the following points:

• The report was released ahead of a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and a dozen Pacific island leaders this month (September).
• The Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau are known as Freely Associated States (FAS) after signing compacts in the late 1980s that give the U.S. defence responsibility and the right to military bases.
• The compacts, which expire in 2023 and 2024, are being renegotiated. The report warns that these states could look to China for funding if negotiations fail.

References

Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:

• China’s real ambitions for the South Pacific | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)

References from the Web:

• SEP 2022 Report: US can easily out-move China by strength of its ties with Compact states—Pacific Island Times
• SEP 2022 Marshall Islands calls off talks after no US response on nuclear legacy plan—Asia Pacific Report

Source Information:

• Article Source: Reuters
• Media Check: Reuters - Media Bias Fact Check (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
• RAAF RUNWAY: RATIONALE, GUIDELINES, LEARNING OUTCOMES, ETC | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)