Solomons Signs US-Led Pacific Deal After Historic Meeting

  • Biden commits more than $810 million to new Pacific initiative
  • Washington is trying to counter Beijing’s diplomacy in Pacific
Joe Biden, center, and Pacific Island leaders during a group photograph on the sidelines of the US-Pacific Island Country Summit at the White House on Sept. 29.Photographer: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg
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The Solomon Islands has joined 13 other Pacific nations in signing a wide-reaching US-led partnership agreement, after early indications it would refuse.

The ten-point US-Pacific Partnership deal was announced by the White House on Thursday evening, following the first-ever meeting between a US president and the leaders of every major Pacific nation. It includes commitments for increased action on climate change, economic development and security cooperation.