Biden administration officially recognizes Cook Islands, Niue

President Joe Biden on Monday officially established diplomatic relations with the two nations in the South Pacific. In a statement, Biden also recognized the countries as sovereign independent states. The decision comes as administration officials host Pacific Island leaders at a summit in Washington, D.C., this week.

What does establishing diplomatic relations mean? Biden’s statement did not articulate concrete details about what the relationships would entail. The United States has sought to build alliances with countries in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of increasing Chinese aggression. It has opened or reopened embassies in Tonga and the Solomon Islands this year. The Biden administration hopes to open an embassy in Vanuatu early next year. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who was in New York last week for the United Nations General Assembly, didn’t attend the White House summit, an administration official said. The Solomon Islands last year signed a security pact with China.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about how China is seeking to grow its influence in Africa.