Harris vows US will strengthen its Pacific islands relations

SUVA, Fiji (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris assured Pacific island leaders of more U.S. engagement after acknowledging the United States may not have previously provided the diplomatic attention the region deserved. Harris’ virtual address to the Pacific Islands Forum comes as China vies for more influence in the Indo-Pacific region. She proposed new embassies in Tonga and in Kiribati, a Micronesian state that split this week from the 18-nation forum in a major blow to regional harmony. Harris also proposed requesting that the U.S. Congress triple funding for fisheries assistance to $60 million a year and the appointment of the first U.S. envoy to the forum.