Introduction
From September 28-29, 2022, the U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the first ever U.S. Pacific Island Country Summit in Washington D.C. The first of its kind summit included 14 countries including the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and the host United States of America.[2] President Biden vehemently argued that “The United States is a proud Pacific power. We will continue to be an active, engaged partner in the region.” The Pacific Islands region comprises nearly 15 percent of the Earth’s surface and is undoubtedly a “vital sub-region of the Indo-Pacific.”[3] At the two-day summit, President Biden announced 810 million USD for the 13 nations and 20 million USD were pledged for the Solomon Islands to develop its tourism industry.[4] It is to be remembered here that the Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with China in April 2022, which included 730 million USD for the island nation.[5] It is equally important to note that the Solomon Islands has rejected to endorse “Biden’s Pacific outreach as China looms large.”[6]
