U.S., Marshall Islands Security Deal Will Limit China’s Access to Western Pacific

“Obviously, there’s no secret that lawyers [in the U.S. government] are concerned about issues of liability. And that’s understandable,” said John Hennessey-Niland, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Palau between 2020 and 2022.

In an interview with VOA, Hennessey-Niland said the nuclear details are important to the Marshallese, and Washington needs to demonstrate its commitment to the region by finalizing these agreements.

“[This] signals not just to the people of Marshall Islands, but to the people of the Pacific, that we should be their partner of choice,” he said.

Since President Xi Jinping took office in 2013, “Beijing has significantly bolstered its involvement in the Pacific Islands region, which comprises three U.S. territories and three countries freely associated with the United States that are important for U.S. defense interests in the Indo-Pacific,” according to a 2018 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

“Much of China’s engagement in the region has focused on expanding economic ties with the Pacific Islands, but it has also increased its footprint in the diplomatic and security realms.”

For the past 10 years, Beijing has exerted economic and political pressure on the governments of the Marshalls and Palau because both Pacific Island nations recognize Taiwan diplomatically. Beijing considers the self-governing island as its own territory.

Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. told VOA that he’s under constant pressure from Beijing.

“We’ll give you a million tourists [and] we can [fill] all the hotel rooms you want. All you have to do is denounce Taiwan and join us,” he said, paraphrasing the messages he receives.

With the agreement signed with the Marshall Islands, the U.S. Congress must begin the process of approving the funds for all three Pacific Island nations. The Biden administration is seeking $7.1 billion to fund the package for all three nations – known as the Compacts of Free Association – over the next 20 years.

The House Natural Resources Committee has scheduled a subcommittee hearing on the agreements with the nations on Thursday to consider draft legislation. Ambassador Joseph Yun, U.S. special presidential envoy for compact negotiations, and Cantor are expected to testify.

Unlike the underlying agreements signed Monday, the draft legislation being considered by the committee includes compensation for nuclear testing for the Marshall Islands.

According to the documents, the draft limits compensation for American nuclear testing to “the people of” four of the 29 atolls within the Marshall Islands where a majority of the nuclear testing took place “and their descendants.”

Jessica Stone is a Washington-based correspondent for VOA News.This article is published courtesy of the Voice of America (VOA).