On August 28th, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell embarked on a three-day visit to the Pacific island nations. On Thursday, August 29th, he announced that the United States will cooperate with the Pacific island nations to combat the criminal activities of drug trafficking networks operating in the region. These drug trafficking networks are currently using the area as a transit point to export drugs to the United States.
To address the issue of increasing deaths from drug overdoses, the United States has frequently criticized the role of Chinese companies in the global fentanyl supply chain. This year, there has been a rise in the amount of methamphetamine (commonly known as ice) seized in Fiji and Tonga.
Campbell stated that the US is committed to assisting the Pacific island nations in the fight against drugs and will announce next week specific law enforcement measures against drugs in the Pacific region, a problem that is troubling leaders in the area.
During his visit to Vanuatu in the South Pacific, Campbell told reporters, “We are concerned that some networks emerging in China and Southeast Asia are starting to use Pacific countries to transit drugs to Latin America and the United States.” “Many of our partners in the Pacific region want to work with us to try to address this issue,” he added.
He also mentioned that the US can provide assistance in areas such as drug enforcement, treatment, and prevention.
On August 28th, Campbell led a US delegation to the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit hosted by the Kingdom of Tonga.
During the summit, Campbell met with the newly elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Jeremiah Manele. He noted that the previous leaders of the Solomon Islands had signed a security agreement with China, and now the current leaders of Solomon Islands hope to realign with the United States.
On August 29th, Campbell traveled to Vanuatu to host the official opening ceremony of the US Embassy there.
He mentioned that the US is working to provide financing for small businesses in Vanuatu to boost its tourism sector, hospital infrastructure, and telecommunications industry to ensure that the Pacific island nations can choose their partners.
Campbell’s visit to the Pacific island nations is the latest in a series of high-level visits by US senior officials to the region. The region is an area of intense competition between the US and China, with Chinese companies having engaged in infrastructure development in Vanuatu for the past decade, making China the largest external creditor of Vanuatu.
On Wednesday, during the Pacific Islands Forum, leaders unanimously supported a $400 million Australian-funded program to improve police training and establish a rapid response police force in the region.
Australia has expressed concerns about the increasing presence of the Chinese police in the region, and enhancing law enforcement in the Pacific region will reduce the need for Chinese police involvement.