At a forum for Pacific island nations, regional leaders agreed to consult with each other before signing onto individual security deals. The agreement among the countries is seen as a rejection of China’s forays into influencing the region, most notably through a secretive security pact with the Solomon Islands. Host Marco Werman spoke with Charles Edel, a former adviser on the Indo-Pacific region in the State Department. He’s the Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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