Washington ramps up spy activities in South Pacific

Bloomberg

The US is looking to gather more intelligence in the South Pacific to counter China, which has expanded its influence among small island nations in recent years.
Concerns are rising that Beijing’s leaders are seeking to win through coercion the allegiance of islands typically aligned with the US, Admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, told a security forum in Singapore. The region played a key role in World War II and remains strategically important as Western powers seek to maintain open sea lines and stability.
China has stepped up state-directed economic investment into the Pacific islands region, which is home to more than a dozen nations including Fiji, Niue and Nauru scattered across thousands of miles of ocean. That has prompted the US and its close ally Australia to step up engagement with those countries. “America has expanded its maritime security initiative for the South Pacific,” Davidson said.