A prominent Pacific Islands leader has urged the United States and China to refrain from introducing “adversarial competition” to the region, as both nations escalate their efforts to gain influence.
Mark Brown, the Prime Minister of Cook Islands, who was invited to represent the Pacific region at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, has expressed his views on the growing interest of superpowers in the Pacific.
He said, while the increased attention is appreciated, it should not come at any cost. The speaker stated that it is crucial to comprehend that the matters pertaining to national security, which our development associates may perceive as significant, may not align with our own national security objectives.
He further said that economic security and climate security are the foremost national security priorities.
Brown said he would call on leaders of wealthy G7 democracies to help combat urgent climate challenges.
“The Pacific Island countries are at the forefront of the impacts of climate change, a large proportion of it caused by the G7 countries.”