Joe Biden endorses ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific after key Pacific Islands summit

US President Joe Biden on Saturday endorsed a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region, stressing that it shall be stable and prosperous, resilient and secure as he delivered a speech whilst hosting  leers from  Pacific Island countries. A great deal of history of world would be written in Indo-Pacific over coming years and deces, Biden said, ding that  Pacific Islands are a critical voice in shaping globe's future. 

US President committed to deepening enduring partnership with Pacific Islands countries, saying that America and region shared a common future and goals. He pledged to tackle  climate crisis in region, which he noted, "threatens all of us." He categorically stressed that his ministration me it a priority to strengn partnerships with  Pacific Islands Forum.

Washington, said Biden, launched Partners in Blue Pacific (PBP) initiative this year with Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and United Kingdom to more effectively coordinate with  allies and partners in Blue Pacific and instate  rules-based free and open international order. initiative will ensure continued support for prosperity, resilience, and security in Pacific, US president iterated. 

Biden with leers of Pacific Islands countries. Credit: AP

Among  Partners in Blue Pacific (PBP) members, Australia and New Zealand are of region and members of Pacific Islands Forum; Japan, United Kingdom, and United States are founding Dialogue Partners. US also approved a combined $2.1 billion in development assistance for region to support Pacific priorities, in line with Pacific Islands Forum’s upcoming 2050 Strategy for Blue Pacific Continent.  PBP is aimed at forging closer ties with Pacific governments and with Pacific Islands Forum, by facilitating stronger and more regular engagement between  governments to bolster Pacific regionalism.

"We’re also announcing more than $810 million in expanded US programs to improve lives of Pacific Islanders, which includes more than $130 million in new investments to support climate resilience and to build sustainable blue economies in Pacific Islands; prepare for climate impacts on public health and food security, and to strengn sustainable development; and also to build a better early warning capacity to predict, prepare for, and respond to climate hazards," Biden said. 

He of government of Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia participated in  two-day summit that Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted. Vanuatu and Nauru sent representatives, and Australia, New Zealand and secretary-general of Pacific Island Forum sent observers, White House said in a statement. 

Credit: AP

$810mn in funding for Pacific Islands

In an effort to snub China's overreach, United States this week formally committed to implementing  Declaration on US-Pacific Partnership, a forward-looking vision statement that reflected two sides' shared interest to expand and deepen regional cooperation. Biden ministration launched a new diplomatic initiative —  Pacific Partnership Strategy—pledging an estimated $810 million in new funding for Pacific Island countries to tackle various issues including climate change, defence, maritime security, and economic development. 

Washington, earlier this year, h formally declared at least seven commitments to Pacific Islands Forum leers— four of initiatives were fundamentally aid programs, and two were aimed at expanding United States' diplomatic presence in region. One of commitments involves including Pacific Islands in Indo-Pacific strategy of United States.

At  first-ever United States-Pacific Island Country Summit hosted on Sep 29, Biden-Harris ministration announced scores of initiatives, including ded funding under $1.5 billion to support Pacific Islands countries and over $810 million in ditional expanded programs. It also declared that US will recognise New Zealand realm Cook Islands and Niue as “sovereign states” in a historic move  “following appropriate consultations”.