U.S. Policy in the Pacific

The Pacific Island region, a cluster of 14 sovereign states with a population of only 9 million, far from both the mainland United States and the core of Asia, is perhaps the most overlooked region of the Asia-Pacific. The Pacific Islands deserve the United States' attention for the important roles that they play in regional security. Many remember the Pacific Island countries for the role they played during World War II. The Pacific Island states are also of economic interest, especially for the U.S. fishing industry, as the South Pacific supplies roughly one-third of the world's tuna. Chinese trade with the Pacific Island states is nearly 10 times larger than the United States. China has also targeted the Pacific Islands in its diplomatic efforts. Five years ago, the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified to Congress that the United States was in direct competition for influence in the Pacific Island region. But very little seems to have been done since then to bolster our position. Beijing, on the other hand, has made significant advances.