Insights
Guam ignored in public , admonished in private
The Pacific Island Forum concluded last month in Rarotonga Cook Islands with a significant American presence . The United States ’ high-profile delegation was led by U . S . Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield and more than 100 individuals . Frankie Reed , former U . S . ambassador to Fiji , Kiribati , Nauru , Tonga and Tuvalu , is the designated U . S . envoy to the PIF .
This dramatic presence included US- AID , climate change officials , the Peace Corps , the National Security Council , the U . S . Coast Guard and Tom Udall , U . S . ambassador to New Zealand .
Guam Gov . Lou Leon Guerrero sent Carlotta Leon Guerrero , the chief advisor for military and regional affairs . The visit should have been higher profile since Guam applied for associate membership to the PIF and was under consideration . But somewhere in the process , Guam ’ s application did not make it to the full agenda . Apparently , the application has become a source of contention between Guam and the State Department along with the National Security Council .
The governor ’ s staff has already heard from State Department representatives . Kurt Campbell expressed his concerns about Guam ’ s participation directly to the PIF . He is currently the NSC coordinator for the Indo-Pacific and has been nominated by President Biden to serve as the deputy secretary of State . He has held assistant secretary positions at State and the Pentagon in the past , is seen as Biden ’ s Indo-Pacific czar and was coordinating Obama ’ s pivot to Asia .
Guam ’ s governor was invited as a kind of observer to Biden ’ s first Pacific Island Summit in 2022 . The summit included all members of the PIF , ostensibly independent island nations . However , New Caledonia and French Polynesia , both
By Robert A Underwood
French territories , are also members of the Forum . Subsequently , Guam decided to apply for membership .
Biden ’ s second Pacific Island Summit in 2023 did not include the governor although an invitation was extended two or three days in advance of the meeting . It seemed like a perfunctory text rather than an actual phone call .
State Department representatives have asked Guam officials , “ What would happen if Guam took a position contrary to the U . S .?” in an international forum like the PIF . Apparently , the State Department has decided to avoid giving an answer to the question by discouraging Guam ’ s application .
This has been communicated to both the PIF and the governor ’ s office . In public , Guam is being ignored by the Biden administration on these regional issues and in the PIF . Despite the desire of the State Department to make sure that Guam is on the “ same team ” internationally , the island is not being given a chance to play on any team .
For Guam , it feels like the island is being ignored in public and taken to task in private . There will be opportunities for future meetings between island officials and State Department representatives as well as the Biden Administration . This matter needs to be pressed directly . I wonder what the conversations are like between Paris and its two territories when it comes to international positioning . Perhaps Guam could get some hints at how that works between a colonial power and a colony in future conversations between Washington D . C . and Guam .
For her part , Linda Thomas-Greenfield participated in several high-profile meetings and was given the opportunity to speak and the delegation met with representatives of various countries and regional organizations . State issued several “ readouts ” on the meetings between Thomas-Greenfield and heads of Pacific Island countries , but none seemed substantive .
She declared that the United States is a “ Pacific country ” and that $ US8 billion will be spent by America in the Pacific . Some individuals scoffed at the notion of being a Pacific country and asked whether the $ US8 billion included the over $ US7 billion going to the recently concluded Compacts of Free Association with the countries in the North Pacific .
She also announced support for the Forum ’ s 2022 Blue Pacific Continent strategy . This initiative is described as a movement for Pacific peoples and their cultural values . A series of climate change-related objectives , economic plans and political relationships are articulated . The territories are specifically included as being part of the Blue Pacific Continent , but they are not really included in the planning .
The U . S . is a Pacific country , but its physical presence in the Blue Continent is actually made possible through the territories and the Pacific peoples who inhabit them . But the U . S . still hasn ’ t considered specific roles for its territories in the Blue Continent . The State Department obviously thinks of it as an initiative for independent countries .
In an interesting statement , Biden announced at the second Pacific Island Summit that no country should lose its “ statehood ” or membership in the United Nations if the islands sink into the ocean as a result of “ sea-level rise driven by human-induced climate change .” I guess if it happened to the colonies , they would not lose their colonial status .
Most of the attention in PIF was about Australia ’ s “ treaty ” with Tuvalu to accept up to 280 migrants ( called a special mobility pathway ) annually for the small island country . Some $ AU16 million will be given for climate change adaptation .
The opinions expressed here are solely the author ' s and do not reflect the editorial position of the Pacific Island Times .
Former Tuvalu Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga is outraged by this and has stated so in the Tuvalu Parliament . Like so many of these treaties , the Australian military can enter Tuvalu under a “ security arrangement ” and deny access to others .
Australia flexed its muscles at the PIF in a friendly , helpful way much like the U . S . Everyone is committed to resolving climate change , but Australia continues to rely on fossil fuels with coal and natural gas leading the way . Both America and Australia also offer soft power diplomacy initiatives regarding women ’ s empowerment , youth development and USAID-type assistance . China continues to give out “ soft loans ” to Fiji , Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea .
All of these high-profile initiatives , assistance , treaties and complications are part of the strategy to counter China .
Meanwhile , in territories like Guam , the counter strategy means more anti-missile defense systems , live firing ranges , and increased numbers of military personnel and contractors . It also means managing Guam to not assert itself in international forums .
But even if Guam were allowed to have a separate voice , the bigger powers would still find a way to manage the region in a way consistent with their objectives . Tuvalu and the Micronesian region COFA states are good examples of that .
The Blue Continent needs to work on managing its external relationships in a way consistent with its stated values of independence , sovereignty and culture of Pacific peoples . The PIF also needs to figure out what to do with the territories in this 2050 initiative .
Dr . Robert Underwood is the former president of the University of Guam and former member of the U . S . House of Representatives . Send feedback to anacletus2010 @ gmail . com .
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