Summary
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday negotiations have begun with three Pacific island nations to renew a national security agreement that would help Washington counter growing Chinese influence in the region.
Pompeo, who is the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Micronesia, spoke after meeting the leaders of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
Laying the foundations for negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump in May hosted the leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau -- a rare state visit for such small countries.
China has become the region's biggest bilateral lender during the past decade, although U.S. allies including Japan, Australia and New Zealand have retained -- and in some instances recently increased -- their already significant aid programs to Pacific island economies.
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