Key facts
- CSIS released a tool mapping 56 security arrangements in the Pacific.
- Arrangements include treaty-level defense obligations, status of forces agreements, and cooperation MOUs.
- Australia has pursued security pacts with Tuvalu and Vanuatu to foreclose Chinese military basing.
- The US seeks higher defense spending from Indo-Pacific allies, aiming for 3.5%-5% of GDP.
The Pacific islands have become a focal point for strategic competition between China and the US and its allies, with both sides actively pursuing security agreements to expand their influence. A new interactive mapping tool from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) details 56 such arrangements across 14 Pacific island countries and major external powers including the US, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Taiwan. These agreements range from treaty-level defense obligations to less binding cooperation memorandums of understanding. Australia, in particular, has significantly increased its efforts to strengthen security ties in the region in response to China's growing ambitions. The US is also demanding higher defense spending from its Indo-Pacific allies to deter Chinese aggression.