US President Joe Biden (R) gestures to Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown during the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 25, 2023. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)
President Joe Biden announced that the US would establish diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands as his administration seeks to strengthen ties with Pacific island nations and counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region.
The move will help the two countries "tackle the challenges that matter most to our peoples’ lives-from countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to combating climate change, to building inclusive economic growth, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Biden said Monday in a statement ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House.
While the Cook Islands are self-governing, the nation is in an "associated state” relationship with New Zealand, which is responsible for its defense.
Monday’s summit highlights the growing importance the US has placed on improving strained relations with the region after years of perceived neglect, including on climate change.
The US and allies including Australia are worried Pacific island nations are increasingly drifting into China’s orbit and have launched a major diplomatic effort to engage with those countries.
Pacific Island leaders have been skeptical towards a push by Washington to revitalize ties after the US reduced its footprint during the Cold War, sharply shifting its diplomatic focus to Europe.
The stakes rose in 2022, when the Solomon Islands signed a security accord with Beijing, spurring fears about a possible Chinese military base in the area. Beijing has paid more attention to the region as it seeks to raise its profile and expand its military and economic links.
"It is strategic competition between China and us,” Joseph Yun, a US envoy to the Pacific islands, said earlier this year at the Hudson Institute. "We’re playing a little bit of catchup, but we need to accelerate our catchup.”
Biden hosted the leaders for a summit last year as well, capped by the administration unveiling its first ever Pacific Partnership Strategy, aimed at expanding diplomatic missions, deploying additional personnel across the Pacific and a heightened focus on issues such as climate, health, marine conservation and maritime security.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday the leaders’ visit would reaffirm Biden’s "support for strengthening ties with the Pacific Islands and discuss how we address complex global challenges.”
