MSC

There has been a resurgence of interest in the Pacific Islands in recent months as the area has again become the focus of Great Power competition. Whereas the last time the Pacific Islands were part of war strategies for Imperial Japan and the US in the Second World War, they are now being courted by Australia, China, New Zealand, and the US, among others, for influence along important shipping lanes and within global institutions like the United Nations. The Pacific Islands are more than pawns in a great game, however, as they have goals and interests of their own that they seek to advance through these interactions with other nations. Dr. Tarcisius Kabutaulaka, Associate Professor at the Center for Pacific Islands Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will give his insights into trends and developments in the Pacific Islands, and how the region fits into the wider Indo-Pacific.