US recognizes two Pacific nations to counter China
The Cook Islands and Niue have been recognized by the United States as "sovereign and independent states." The move appeared to be aimed at curbing further Chinese inroads into the Pacific region.
US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the United States officially recognized two small Pacific nations.
According to Biden, Washington has recognized the Cook Islands and Niue as "sovereign and independent" states and will establish diplomatic relations with both.
The move would help maintain a "free and open Indo-Pacific region," Biden said. He added that the agreements to recognize the two nations would also help curb illegal fishing, address climate change in a vulnerable region, and promote economic growth.
The US and Niue already established diplomatic relations on Monday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi signing a joint statement to that effect, the US State Department said.
Why is the US interested in the Niue and the Cook Islands?
The Cook Islands and Niue have a combined population of less than 20,000, but form a vast economic zone in the South Pacific.
Both are self-governing nations in "free association" with New Zealand, meaning that their foreign and defense policies are tied to Wellington to varying degrees.
After decades of being treated as a relative backwater, the South Pacific has become an important arena for competition between the United States and an increasingly assertive China.
Beijing has dramatically ramped up its economic, political and military footprint in the strategic ocean region.
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The announcement of the recognition of the Cook Islands and Niue came at the start of a summit with the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum, which is seen as part of a US charm offensive to block further Chinese inroads into the strategic region that Washington has long considered its own backyard.
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