INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
region.French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S
Secretaries of State Antony Blinken and Defense Lloyd Austin made recent visits to the region, underscoring its strategic
importance.Blinken, who, along with Austin, concluded their regional tour in Australia, initiated the opening of a new U.S
(Photo Internet reproduction)In recent months, the U.S
has made diplomatic overtures to several island nations in the previously overlooked South Pacific region.This has been triggered by a
security pact between China and the Solomon Islands in April 2022 and subsequent multilateral agreement pursuits by Beijing with a handful
administration has aimed to strengthen ties with the Pacific islands, such as by reopening its embassy in the Solomon Islands after a
security pact signed in May, which grants the U.S
was not to compete with the U.S
security pact with the U.S
in 2021 to strengthen its regional presence.The pact, which includes the development of nuclear submarines by Australia, replaced a previous
agreement with France for conventional submarines, straining Paris-Canberra relations temporarily.
