Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Pacific Island nation of Tonga for the first time on Wednesday and took aim at China, blasting Beijing’s activities in the region as “predatory” and “problematic.”
“As China’s engagement in the region has grown, there has been some — from our perspective — increasingly problematic behavior,” Blinken said at a joint press conference with Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku.
He warned against Chinese investments, claiming Beijing was behind “some predatory economic activities, and also investments that are done in a way that can actually undermine good governance and promote corruption.”
Tonga is located about 1,000 miles north of New Zealand and consists of about 170 islands with a population of just over 100,000. Blinken’s trip marks the first official visit to Tonga by a US Secretary of State as the US is looking to boost ties with Pacific Island nations as part of its strategy against China.
Map of the region. Photo: US Indo-Pacific Command.
During his visit, Blinken dedicated a new US embassy in the Tongan capital of Nuku’alofa. His trip came after the State Department told Congress it was planning a massive ramp-up of diplomatic personnel at new Pacific Island embassies.
The US Indo-Pacific Strategy released in February 2022 calls for the US to expand its diplomatic and military presence in the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. China has warned against the strategy, comparing it to NATO’s buildup near Russia and saying it could cause a Ukraine-style “tragedy.”
Blinken arrived in New Zealand after visiting Tonga and will travel to Australia next for a meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts on July 28-29.
Source: AntiWar.
