Kaya
Selby, RNZ Pacific journalist
An American
right-wing think tank is proposing a “Pacific Charter” that
advocates for a greater United States presence in the
region.
The Heritage
Foundation, closely associated with the ruling
Republican Party, wrote that China is “covetously” looking
to the Pacific nations while they are vulnerable to major
security threats, such as the transnational drug
trade.
The think tank holds significant influence with
US President Donald Trump, best encapsulated in its “Project
2025” platform that guided conservative policy leading
up to the 2024 presidental election.
Its latest
report, A
charter of Pacific values for a prosperous Pacific
future, points out that Pacific nations are
uniquely vulnerable at a difficult time, emboldening
“outside forces” to take advantage.
Pacific countries
are asked to “align” their policy agendas, while the US
establishes a “Pacific Partners Commission” and installs a
“Pacific Advisor” on their National Security
Council.
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“Broader intra-Pacific affiliations are being
superseded by the interests of external actors, and the
Pacific agenda is at risk of being shaped by powerful
outside forces,” the report states.
Without Western
involvement, it postulated that China, with its “willingness
to use political leverage and intrigue to advance its narrow
interest” would monopolise their hold.
Rather than
letting that happen, co-authors Allen Zhang and Brent Sadler
proposed a non-binding Charter, not to “impose values and
dictate outcomes” but rather to “reaffirm fundamental ideals
and strengthen regional solidarity”.
It was noted this
would pressure nations to resist the influence of Chinese
cash, for example infrastructure deals. Further, the mood
would be set for island nations and US defence forces to
come closer together.
“The foregoing principles are
frequently bypassed in favour of lucrative bilateral
proposals … compromised when it is personally or locally
expedient.
“When regional nations accede to a charter,
they accept a standard of conduct beyond the mere expression
of aspiration … overtime, states begin to rationalise
strategic decisions against a set of baseline
principles.”
The
White House has only recently turned its attention to
Pacific countries in any public sense, hosting
a business summit in Honolulu in early
February.
Trump has also asserted his interest in
critical minerals at the bottom of the Pacific ocean,
leading to deep-sea mining talks with the Cook Islands and
Tonga.
Jared Novelly, incoming US ambassador to New
Zealand, said
there was an “extreme opportunity” in the Cook Islands
exclusive economic zone
(EEZ).
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