James Cleverly’s visit to the Pacific, the first by a British foreign minister to some of the islands since the 1970s, is as welcome as it is overdue. Australia and the US have already made significant renewed commitments to the Pacific after China signed a security pact with Solomon Islands in April last year but the UK’s Indo-Pacific “Tilt” has been some years in arriving to the South Pacific.
China has been expanding its presence in the Pacific for decades through investments in infrastructure and development projects. But it is its increasing security ties with Pacific nations that has raised concerns among traditional partners and some regional leaders about the potential consequences of Beijing’s growing influence. Cleverly’s visit signals the UK’s intention to contribute to the regional balance of power.
