As part of the United States continued efforts to increase its diplomatic efforts in the Pacific region, U.S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken visited Tonga on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
The trip is Blinken’s third to the Asia-Pacific region in the past two months, following visits to China and Indonesia.
Blinken’s visit helped highlight the opening of a new U.S. Embassy in Tonga and the return of Peace Corps volunteers following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blinken pledged to step up support for Pacific nations, saying that the United States was committed to both Tonga and the broader Pacific Islands.
“We’re a Pacific nation,” Blinken told his hosts while pledging support for projects important to them. “We very much see the future in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
Citing issues like climate change, development and illegal fishing, Blinken said, “We really understand what is a priority for the people here.”
“There are a long list of things that we’re working on together, but it’s all driven by focusing on what’s concrete, what can really make a difference in people’s lives.”
Antony Blinken
In a statement, U.S State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller disclosed that Blinken met with Tongan Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni and other officials to discuss the bilateral relationship as well as regional and global issues, said.
“Secretary Blinken outlined how the United States is following through on commitments made by President Biden at last year’s historic summit with Pacific Islands leaders to elevate our diplomatic and development presence and engagement in the region.”
Matthew Miller
Miller added that the visit also highlighted U.S. efforts to tackle the Pacific climate crisis, including by expanding early warning systems.
Blinken’s hosts said that his visit was a sign of Washington’s renewed interest in the region.
“His presence here today is a testament to the fact that our partnership is growing from strength to strength,” said Tongan Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, welcoming a “shared respect for democracy, rule of law and the rights and freedoms of others”.
One of the West’s biggest concerns is debt levels in the region. Tonga, which is home to just over 100,000 people, is heavily indebted to Beijing and there have been questions about how the nation will repay that debt.
Sovaleni said at a press conference that Tonga had this year started to pay down its debt and had no concerns about Tonga’s relationship with China, which was focused on development such as infrastructure.
Blinken Says China’s Investments In The Pacific Need To Be Transparent
At the press conference, Blinken averred that the U.S had no objection to China’s engagement with the Pacific region. However, he noted that there were concerns that Beijing’s investments needed to be transparent and undertaken with sustainable finance.
“I think one of the things that we’ve seen is that as China’s engagement in the [Indo-Pacific] region has grown, there has been some, from our perspective, increasingly problematic behaviour.”
Antony Blinken
He claimed China had been behind “some predatory economic activities and also investments that are done in a way that can actually undermine good governance and promote corruption”.
In recent years, China has increased its funding for infrastructure in the Pacific and stepped-up its diplomatic presence in the region.
It has prompted a significant boost in engagement and funding from Western countries to counter this.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, also just finished a visit to New Zealand and Samoa. French President Emmanuel Macron began a trip to the South Pacific this week.
Blinken’s next stop is New Zealand, where he will meet with officials and watch the women’s World Cup soccer match between the U.S. and the Netherlands on Thursday, July 27, 2023.
After that, he will travel to Brisbane, Australia, for meetings with U.S Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts.
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