The US Secretary of State urged Pacific nations to resist authoritarianism.
A senior US official in the Solomon Islands warned Pacific countries on Sunday against the advances of autocratic regimes as China expands its influence in the region, the preserve of Washington and its allies.
Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is in the Solomons for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal, the first major ground offensive by the United States and its allies against Japan in 1942 and a turning point in the Pacific War.
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Wendy Sherman warned, without naming names, of leaders who she said were trying to resuscitate ideas “corruptas to the use of force andbelieve that coercion, pressure and violence are instruments that can be used with impunity“.
Comparing the current situation to the Allied struggle against Nazism and Imperial Japan in the 1930s and 1940s, the American diplomat urged Pacific nations to resist authoritarianism. “We remember how corrupt and empty these ideas were, and how they remain so today.“, did she say. “Today we are once again engaged in a fight of a different kind, a fight that will continue for the time being.“.
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Wendy Sherman’s visit to the Solomon Islands comes as the United States seeks to regain a foothold in a region where China is increasingly active diplomatically. The Solomon Islands government recently signed an opaque security pact with Beijing, is trying to curb press freedom and is considering postponing elections.
“It’s up to us whether we want to continue to have societies where people are free to express their opinions” and “if we want governments that are transparent and responsive to their people“Launched Ms. Sherman in front of her hosts.
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Besides the caveats, Wendy Sherman asserted that Washington wants to increase cooperation with the Pacific Islands, “absolutely essentialaccording to her, notably by opening embassies in Tonga, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.
As part of this charm offensive, US President Joe Biden will host Pacific Island leaders at the White House for a summit in September.
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