‘Great Game’ Unfolds in Pacific as US, China Vie for Backing
- Natural resources and strategic location put region in focus
- New diplomatic outposts rapidly being established in region
A ship transports passengers from other islands to Honiara Port in the Solomon Islands.
Photographer: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Island nations scattered across the Pacific Ocean are at the center of an intensifying competition between China and the US for maritime routes, deep-water ports and other strategic assets in what the Lowy Institute calls a new “Great Game.”
The countries’ proximity to key shipping lanes and the communication cables that criss-cross the Pacific floor, together with fisheries and seabed minerals, also encourage the rivalry, Lowy said in a report on Wednesday. But it’s the region’s maritime location between Asia, North America and Australia that is set to keep it at the forefront of major powers’ defense strategies.