Is the United States about to share in the ‘heavy lifting’ in the Pacific?

Sadly not much has happened since then!

But there are promising signs beyond President Biden's presentation to the Forum.

The first came recently when the President nominated a former Senate colleague, Tom Udall, to be the next US Ambassador to New Zealand. The appointment of a senior Democrat to this position sent a strong signal that the US is increasingly its diplomatic and wider presence.

But we are almost certainly about to get an even stronger signal.

It has been widely reported, and not at all denied, that the next United States Ambassador to Australia will be Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F Kennedy. Caroline Kennedy is just not Democrat Party "royalty" she is United States "royalty" as well.

Her last public office was a very senior one – US Ambassador to Japan during the Obama Administration.

It has been widely reported that the President will submit her name to the Senate for approval soon. The sooner the better!

As I have often written Australia has to do much more to help counter the growing PRC influence in Papua New Guinea and across the South Pacific, and the wider Pacific.

But we cannot do it alone. Sadly, we cannot rely on New Zealand for much assistance, not under the current NZ Government.

There are signs that Japan is going to lift its role. Japan has been a significant contributor to the region through its international aid entity, JICA. That it is clearly planning to do more is timely.

But Australia really needs to partner with the United States if we are to effectively counter China's Belt and Road initiatives, and accompanying "debt trap diplomacy".

The United States could assist our island neighbours monitor fishing in their waters (much of its unchecked and illegal) as well as detect drug trafficking and illegal people movement. While the US priority will be Central and North Pacific because of the proximity to Hawaii and the US West Coast we need the US to play a more active role in our strategic region – Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands and Timor Leste in particular.