FROM THE PUBLISHER ’ S DESK
The outsider
Regional leaders settled their differences in Nadi at last month ’ s Pacific Islands Forum retreat , where they toasted Kiribati ’ s return to the circle after moping in isolation for seven months . The event marked the Forum ’ s reunification , ending a diplomatic fracture sparked by the Micronesian subgroup ’ s walkout in 2021 .
The mending of Pacific unity is seen as a crucial step toward the restoration of regionalism , which is considered vital to deflecting pressure from the world ’ s superpowers . ( See related story on page 20 .)
But there remain some loose ends to tie up : Guam ’ s exclusion . The U . S . territory nestles on the periphery , like the odd man out who is not invited to the party .
Gov . Lou Leon Guerrero last year announced Guam ’ s plan to apply for membership in the Forum . “ We are the epicenter of national security here in Guam . As a result of that , our notoriety and our importance are impacted ,” the governor said , in a bid to make a case for the island ’ s Forum membership .
She didn ’ t fail to mention that during the U . S . -Pacific Island Summit last year , she “ was actually sitting right next to the secretary of state .”
“( The seating ) is because of our stature and our importance in the whole national security realm of the United States and because , also , of our great relationships with the federal government ,” she said . “ They saw us as a great impactor and influencer with our island nations .”
Ironically , however , her boastful justification for Guam ’ s membership in the Forum presented the very reason why the self-invitation received a cold
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The mending of Pacific unity is seen as a crucial step toward the restoration of regionalism . But there remain some loose ends to tie up : Guam ’ s exclusion . The U . S . territory nestles on the periphery , like the odd man out who is not invited to the party .
shoulder . They see Guam ’ s status as a U . S . territory as a dealbreaker .
The Forum comprises 18 members . Other than New Caledonia and French Polynesia , which are both French territories , all members are sovereign nations .
If New Caledonia and French Polynesia can be forum members , why can ’ t Guam ?
Regional observers believe that Guam represents a scenario that the Forum seeks to avoid . It has deliberately declined to reserve seats for its external dialogue partners , such as China and the U . S ., lest they attempt to run the show .
Pacific geopolitics expert Tarcisius Kabutaulaka at the University of Hawaii warned that getting Guam on board would place the United States “ firmly on the inside ” of debates about China and other regional matters .
Washington has not been coy about courting the Forum , which it acknowledges to be a useful organization to further its policies in the region and keep China at bay . At the U . S . -Pacific Island Country Summit at the White House , President Biden announced $ 810 million in an expanded U . S . package , which includes more than $ 130 million in new investments to support climate resilience and build sustainable blue economies in
the Pacific islands .
Lt . Gov . Josh Tenorio disputes suggestions that Washington is behind Guam ’ s bid for Forum membership . For the most part , he is right . Guam is not necessarily expected to be a U . S . mouthpiece .
Guam ’ s colonial status and political association with the United States assume a relationship that occasionally entails negotiation . The partnership has a price tag .
Guam shares more in common with its Pacific neighbors . Besides being a magnet for aggression , Guam navigates the same challenges faced by every island nation — such as climate change , resources management and environmental threats among others — all of which are better dealt with through regional solidarity .
Publisher / Editor-in-Chief Mar-Vic Cagurangan publisher @ pacificislandtimes . com
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