Garin Artyom

The Role of the U.S. in Oceania: Efforts to Restore the Presence in the Region amid the Growing Influence of China

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2022, №3(56), 204-212

 
Annotation: Oceania is known for its extensive exclusive economic zones (EEZs), favorable location at the crossing of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as potentially large reserves of natural resources. Despite the fact that this region is more remote from an eventual area of military operations than Southeast Asia or the Indian Ocean Countries, it's facing a more and more attention from leading regional and extra-regional actors. The United States is no exception. For many decades, Washington strengthened its military, economic and socio-humanitarian positions in Micronesia, but at the beginning of the 21st century, the People's Republic of China (PRC) began to take an increasingly active part in Oceania's affairs, which later became the U.S.'s competitor for regional and global leadership. Initially, the United States expected that Australia would assume the status of China's main rival in Oceania and try to reduce the pace of his convergence with the Pacific Island Countries (PICs). But it later turned out that Canberra was not up to the task. Because of this, the U.S. has tried to institutionalize its presence in South Pacific, but faced with the consequences of the transformation of the regional architecture.

Keywords: the United States, the PRC, Oceania, Australia, strategy, the Partners in the Blue Pacific