U.S. Pacific Islands policy

The search for new bases of operation is part of the U.S. Air Force’s focus on being able to disperse its aircraft and avoid being overwhelmed in a future conflict.

Biden and Albanese might be in lockstep, but actualizing AUKUS requires U.S. congressional support that cannot be guaranteed, even at this high point of Australia-U.S. relations.

The upcoming summit represents the crowning event of Washington’s explosive re-engagement with the Pacific Islands.

Washington has indeed stepped up engagement, but missteps, half-steps, and mixed messaging are getting in the way.

Behind the hopes and pageantry of the summit, there will be many challenges for both sides to navigate.

The Pacific Islands states have rejected China’s overreach. But are Washington’s efforts any more attractive?

Australia’s new government and the United States are both moving urgently to boost ties with Pacific Island countries as the scope of China’s ambition becomes clear.

Washington must start to shape its own policy on the Solomons, otherwise Campbell’s trip is a fool’s errand.

With Blinken's trip to Fiji, the Biden administration wanted to signal a renewed focus on the Pacific Islands. It will take more than one trip to make that message stick.

The Compacts of Free Association (COFA) between the U.S. and the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau touch on nearly every U.S. national priority. So why are renegotiations stuck in limbo?

The U.S. has been largely subcontracting its foreign policy for many Pacific Islands to Australia and New Zealand. That needs to change.