US Vice President Kamala Harris assured Pacific island leaders of more U.S. Engagement after acknowledging Wednesday the United States may not have previously provided the diplomatic attention the region deserved.
Harris' virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum, meeting in the Fijian capital Suva, comes as China vies for more influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
She proposed new embassies in Tonga and in Kiribati, a Micronesian state that split this week from the 18-nation forum in a major blow to regional harmony.
Harris also proposed requesting that the U.S. Congress triple funding for fisheries assistance to $60 million a year and appoint the first U.S. Envoy to the forum.
“The United States is a proud Pacific nation and has an enduring commitment to the Pacific islands which is why President Joe Biden and I seek to strengthen our partnership with you,” Harris said. “We recognize that in recent years the Pacific islands may not have received the diplomatic attention and support that you deserve. So today I am here to tell you directly, we are going to change that,” she added.
Harris' commitment was welcomed by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, the forum chair who invited her to speak.
Her invitation was remarkable given that the forum's dialogue partners — including the United States, China, Britain and France — have not been invited to this year's summit.