00:00The U.S. recently announced some new initiatives to work with Pacific Island nations to combat security threats, to improve
00:08digital connectivity, and to increase economic opportunities.
00:11It also hosted the Pacific Agenda Investment Summit with officials from Pacific Island nations in February.
00:18Why are we seeing the U.S. working to strengthen ties with Pacific Island nations?
00:23I think what we've seen from the U.S., in fact, it started under the first Trump administration and something
00:29that the Biden administration continued, is a recognition that the Pacific Islands region is a front line in the U
00:38.S.'s geostrategic competition with China.
00:43So the geography of the region is very important, as well as the political relationships in the Pacific are very
00:49important.
00:49So this is a continuation, but also a calibration of U.S. focus from away from from climate change and
00:59pure diplomatic outreach and development to those priorities that in some ways are more closely aligned to the needs of
01:06Pacific leaders at this time, which is to say commercial development, economic development, and of course, regional security.
01:14And what implications does this have for Taiwan?
01:17It's a positive signal for Taiwan because, of course, the U.S.'s ongoing presence and engagement in the broader Pacific
01:24Islands region serves to buttress Taiwan's own security situation with respect to China.
01:32So ongoing U.S. engagement, new U.S. activities, particularly those that draw in Taiwan as a stakeholder, for example,
01:40on the undersea cable connectivity project that is sort of spreading throughout the region.
01:46And also diplomatically and politically, Taiwan has three diplomatic partners in the Pacific Islands region, Palau, Marshall Islands, and Tuvalu.
01:58Now, the status of political recognition by Pacific countries is hotly contested.
02:05We've seen in the last few years that we've seen in the last few years, three Pacific Island countries change
02:08their recognition from Taiwan to China.
02:12So stronger, stronger U.S. support that that enables a more active Taiwan role with respect to its own Pacific
02:20relations.
02:21Again, it serves to inject stability into the status quo in a way that protects Taiwan's political and security interests.
02:31And do you think that the war with Iran will affect the U.S.'s efforts in the Pacific?
02:35There is a question of what will the current conflict in Iran cost the United States in terms of military
02:43resources as well as development resources down the track.
02:47The Pacific Agenda Summit, the business summit, is a very important signal to show, at the very least, a United
02:55States intent to continue to stay engaged in the region.
02:58But, of course, you know, every international engagement comes with a price to service that engagement.
03:07So it's unclear yet just how absorbed the United States will be in Iran.
03:13But that is a very good question to keep watching.
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