[Jimbuna]

US warned of strategic loss of Pacific Island nations to China in fresh funding dispute

The US has been warned that it could lose incredibly important strategic Pacific Islands to China due to disputes over blocked funding.

Palau, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia are currently "under pressure" and may be forced to turn to China for financial help.

If this goes through, US defence officials have warned that the country could lose these nations to China. Instead, they are pushing to provide the funding themselves.

The leaders of the islands have claimed that they need £2.3 billion, currently held up in Congress, or they may have no other choice but to ask China for the money.

Coincidentally, China is trying to shift the power dynamics of the region in its favour, most notably due to the issue of Taiwan and who lays claim to it.

If the money isn't handed over soon and the islands turn to China, it could result in Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia recognising Taiwan as under the ownership of China.

The three leaders issued a joint letter in February warning of the "uncertainty" created by the delay in receiving the money, resulting in "undesirable opportunities for economic exploitation by competitive political actors active in the Pacific".

The islands are involved in treaties called Compacts of Free Association (Cofa) which allows the Pentagon to have virtually unrestricted military access in exchange for guaranteed security and other benefits.

Cofa states allow the US to remain a Pacific power as they afford the country access to an area of the region larger than the continental US, providing a critical defence mechanism against potential Chinese advances.

Congress is currently holding up a vast amount of money for oversees conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's war on Palestine; this £2 billion is yet another example.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...f4764aea&ei=43