WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s ambitions in the Pacific have caused concern for some Pacific Island leaders, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell said on Thursday.
Campbell made the comment in a briefing to reporters after a meeting of officials from Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) countries.
The group was formed in June and includes the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with the aim of better coordinating assistance to the region in the face of competition from China.
“I think as we’ve seen in some instances, clearly China has ambitions in the Pacific, some of which have caused concern among Pacific Island leaders,” Campbell said.
(Reporting by Michael Martina and Simon Lewis; Editing by Chris Reese)
