US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman speaks during a panel with Friends of Europe in Brussels, Belgium, April 21, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/File Photo
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) – US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy plan to visit the Solomon Islands next month, where their fathers fought in World War II and the United States in a modern struggle for influence with strategic rival China.
Sherman and his delegation will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal during her August 6-8 visit and meet with senior officials “to highlight the continuing relationship between the United States and the Solomon Islands” and plans to open an embassy in the United States in the capital, Honiara, a senior State Department official told Reuters on Sunday.
Sherman will be the latest senior US official to visit the Pacific region as Washington steps up its efforts to push back against Chinese diplomatic advances.
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In addition to Kennedy – whose father, assassinated US president John F. Kennedy, took part in the Solomon Islands campaign as a patrol boat captain in World War II – Sherman’s delegation will include Marine Corps Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka , deputy chief of the Indo-U. See the article : Changing lifestyle to improve consumption of oral medical food products likely to top US$11 billion by 2032: Fact.MR study.S. Pacific Command, and the commander of the Marine Corps for the Pacific, Lieutenant General Stephen Rudder.
A State Department official said the visit would also be of personal interest to Sherman, whose father, Mal Sherman, was a Marine who was wounded in the Battle of Guadalcanal, which began between the United States and allied forces and Japan in August 1942.
The six-month battle marked the beginning of US-led offensive operations in the Pacific, demonstrating the strategic importance of the Solomons that continues today.
In Honiara, Sherman will deliver remarks at a ceremony organized by the United States at Skyline Ridge, the site of the US Guadalcanal Memorial, as well as at a memorial maintained by the Solomon Islands at Bloody Ridge. She will also attend commemorations organized by the Solomon Islands and Japan, now a close ally of the United States.
“These events will recognize the service and sacrifice of those who fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal, including US and Allied forces, the people of the Solomon Islands, and the people of Japan,” the official said.
A State Department spokesman said Washington was seeking to “significantly deepen” engagement with the Pacific islands “and begin a new positive chapter … a season to address the most pressing issues they face face
“The deputy secretary’s trip to the South Pacific reflects the deep investment of the United States in the region,” the spokesman added.
China has been trying to boost economic, military and police ties with Pacific island nations hungry for foreign investment. Washington has emphasized its historic ties to the Pacific, particularly shared sacrifices during World War II, and has promised to commit more resources. read more
Beijing’s growing influence was highlighted by its security agreement with the Solomon Islands this year, a move that caused concern in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. read more
In February, Antony Blinken became the first US secretary of state to visit Fiji in 40 years. While there, he announced a plan to open an embassy in the Solomon Islands and called the Pacific “the region for the future.” read more Washington has not yet given a date for the opening of the embassy.
A high-level US delegation visited the Solomons in April and warned that Washington would have “significant concerns and respond accordingly” to any move to establish a permanent Chinese military presence there. read more
At a four-day summit this month, Pacific island nations put their two beloved superpowers on notice, telling the world’s biggest carbon emitters to take more action on climate change, while pledging unity in the face of a geopolitical showdown. increasing. read more
Leaders at the Fiji summit also bristled at a Chinese attempt to carve some of the nations into a trade and security pact, while Washington promised greater financial and diplomatic engagement.
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Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and David Brunnstrom; Edited by Daniel Wallis and Leslie Adler
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