Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata welcomed the visit to the Pacific of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his first foray into the region since taking office in 2021.
“Welcome to my home district of American Samoa, strategically important as the only U.S. soil in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Amata in a letter that was hand delivered to the Secretary, courtesy of the Governor’s office, during Blinken’s stop in Pago Pago, where COVID restrictions precluded the nation’s top diplomat from making a longer stay.
As the pandemic winds down to a close, the Blinken mission is seen as an effort by the Biden administration to ramp up its moves to pivot to the Asia-Pacific in the aftermath of the end of American involvement in Afghanistan.
“I am glad the secretary at least got the opportunity to see for himself that when it comes to this part of the world, where the Chinese Communist Party is increasing its visibility dramatically,” she asserted, “American Samoa may be remote but is central to our national security.”
Noting that Blinken also intended to focus on reviewing negotiations to extend financial provisions of the Compact of Free Association with three Micronesian freely associated states, Amata urged swift completion of the talks so the pacts can be submitted to Congress for implementing legislation.
“I know other Members of the Congressional Pacific Islands Caucus and I are encouraged that the leaders of the three Freely Associated States are anxious to renew their long-term partnership with the United States, which we fully support,” she said. “Last November, the Caucus hosted a bipartisan briefing by the President of Palau organized by my good friend and Chairman of the Caucus, Congressman Ed Case of Hawaii.
“Please know that we applaud your important visit to the region and urge swift completion of the negotiations to renew the Compacts as quickly as possible so they can be taken up by Congress,” she continued. “I am sure the other members of our Pacific Caucus would join me in asking you for a briefing on your observations and discussions upon your return from the region so we can be prepared to receive your legislative proposal for Compact extension.
“Pago Pago is just the first stop on a trip that will be long and tiring but I hope productive,” she concluded. “You have our best wishes for a successful outcome.”
BACKGROUND
The United States remains focused long-term on the Indo-Pacific region despite concerns over Russian aggression toward Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said from Australia yesterday and reported by the Associated Press.
Blinken is in Melbourne for a meeting with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan.
The four nations form the so-called “Quad,” a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s regional influence.
What matters in the region matters around the world and challenges like climate change and COVID-19 can’t be tackled by any nation alone, Blinken said.
“More than ever before, we need partnerships, we need alliances, we need coalitions of countries willing to put their efforts, their resources, their minds into tackling these problems,” Blinken said.
“What really drives us is a shared vision” of a “free and open society,” he added.
Blinken’s trip is designed to reinforce America’s interests in Asia and its intent to push back against increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region. He will also visit Fiji and discuss pressing concerns about North Korea with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Hawaii.
Blinken said like-minded countries were standing up for shared values rather than against China.
“This is not about standing against anyone in particular, it is about standing up for a rules-based order,” Blinken told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, who will chair the Quad meeting, said the agenda would include COVID-19 vaccine distribution, cyber and critical technologies, countering malicious and dangerous disinformation, terrorism, maritime security and climate change. India will be represented by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Japan by Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.
Blinken is expected to address threats posed by a growing partnership between authoritarian Russia and China, particularly after the Sunday meeting in Beijing between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the opening of the Winter Olympics.
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton expressed concern over the Russian-Chinese alliance and said the threat posed by China was growing.
(Source: Associated Press)
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