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Transcript/ScriptPacific Island Summit Preview
Headline: White House to Hold First Pacific Islands Summit
Teaser:
Published: 9/26/2022 at 2:20pm
Byline: Jessica Stone
Contributor:
Dateline:
Videographer: Jessica Stone
Video editor
Script editors: Kenochs; MPage
Video source (s): ap, afp, reuters, voa original, zoom
Platforms: web_ tv x radio
TRT: 2:40
Vid approved by: KE
Type: tvpkg
Editor notes: ))
(INTRO))
[[This week, the White House hosts Pacific island nations for the first summit of its kind with the U.S. The meeting comes after a spike in American diplomatic engagement in the region following Beijing’s new security pact with the Solomon Islands. Jessica Stone has this report.]]
((NARRATION))
The White House invited a dozen Pacific islands countries — including the leader of the Solomon Islands — for a summit, a first for the strategically vital region now at the heart of the U.S.-China competition.
((Suzanne Vares-Lum, President, East-West Center))
Courtesy: Zoom
“I am very excited about this Pacific summit because I really believe it gives an opportunity for us to really build that connection, to see that we are much more alike than different.”
((NARRATOR))
((courtesy: YouTube))
Suzanne Vares-Lum leads the East-West Center which recently hosted more than a dozen Pacific Island leaders to discuss their most urgent challenges: economic development, post pandemic recovery and climate change.
((Suzanne Vares-Lum, President, East-West Center))
“There's no time to waste, particularly coming out of COVID-19. People are…there are many needs in the Pacific that need to be heard.”
((NARRATION))
But it’s the issue of security that has attracted American diplomatic engagement to the region. After Beijing reached a defense pact with the Solomon Islands in May and attempted a wide-ranging agreement with the Pacific Island nations in July – island leaders have received a steady parade of U.S. officials:
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and Vice President Kamala Harris who joined the Pacific islands forum virtually over the summer.
((Patricia O'Brien, Adjunct Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies))
“The White House is doing this because there is obviously a very urgent need for the... for the United States to up its game in the Pacific.”
((NARRATION))
Patricia O'Brien is an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She says since World War Two when the Pacific islands helped the allies defeat Japan, there’s been a pattern in U.S.-Pacific engagement.
((Patricia O'Brien, Adjunct Fellow, Center for Strategic and International Studies))
“Every time that... that America has come in any numbers, it has been because they wanted something out of the Pacific and then they have left.”
((NARRATION))
O’Brien says to overcome skepticism among Pacific Island leaders, the White House needs to demonstrate that no matter which party is in power in Washington, the Pacific will have partners in their fight against climate change.
((Suzanne Vares-Lum, President, East-West Center))
“…when we talk about Pacific regionalism that's everyone. Climate knows no boundaries. Fish know no boundaries. Neither do currents neither do the impacts of climate change. So, we all need to look at it as one continent and not as small island nations but as large ocean economies and nations.”
((NARRATION))
U.S. President Joe Biden recently signed legislation to cut America’s greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
((Jessica Stone FOR VOA News, Washington.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateSeptember 26, 2022 16:58 EDT
Byline
Jessica Stone FOR VOA News, Washington.
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
