3 May 2022

US financial aid to pacific better than diplomats - expert

From Morning Report, 7:13 am on 3 May 2022

The US administration says it wants to step up its diplomatic engagement with Pacific nations, but one local analyst thinks increasing financial aid would be a better option.

The new American plan was spelt out by the White House's Indo-Pacific coordinator, Kurt Campbell, at this week's US-New Zealand business summit.

It follows rising concerns over the security implications of China's expanding presence in the region, in particular its wooing of Solomon Islands.

Democracy Project international analyst Geoffrey Miller spoke to Susie Ferguson.