Red alert: America hasn’t had a comprehensive policy guide to countering the China threat in the Pacific—until now. * Heritage just released a 30-point strategy to advance American interests in the Pacific. * “This national strategy will advance a more secure, prosperous, and free region for both Americans and Pacific Islanders alike,” writes Research Assistant Andrew Harding. Read the report here. Below are the report’s main takeaways:

• The great power competition between the U.S. and China requires elevating the importance of the Pacific Islands in America’s strategic priorities.
• The Pacific Islands occupy a pivotal location that is important to U.S. efforts to protect the homeland and deny China’s regional hegemonic ambitions.
• The U.S. must articulate a clear explanation for how the Pacific Islands fit into broader U.S. interests and contribute to America’s security and prosperity.
• The Biden-Harris Administration’s Pacific Partnership Strategy does not sufficiently explain how its listed objectives in the Pacific Islands benefit America and has an overemphasis on combatting the effects of climate change.
• The U.S. will need to execute policies, initiatives, and engagements across multiple domains—including supporting a more permanent and physical presence in Pacific Islands and closing a visa loophole actively exploited by Chinese nationals.

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