Pacific Islands Security In the Era of US-China Competition

Situated between the United States and China, the Pacific Islands are a crucial ally to establish strategic deterrence against China. Climate Security in the Pacific Islands RegionClimate change threatens the existence and livelihoods of the Pacific Islands, putting the United States’ strategic partnerships at risk if there is a failure to collaborate on mitigating this crisis. In March 2025, $9 million in funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility was reinstated,18 highlighting continued support for climate security in the Pacific Islands. References1 Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, August 5, 2022, https://forumsec.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/PIFS-2050-Strategy-Blue-Pacific-Continent-WEB-5Aug2022-1.pdf. 23 Andrew Harding, “The Pacific Pivot: An American Strategy for the Pacific Islands,” The Heritage Foundation, October 1, 2024, https://www.heritage.org/china/report/the-pacific-pivot-american-strategy-the-pacific-islands.