# Tonga - United States Department of State

- Tonga HomeReportsBureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices&#8230;Tonga				hide	document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(event) {	if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}});																							2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Tonga																																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																																																																																							Download Report																																																							Translations																																																																 In this section										/																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																																													EXECUTIVE SUMMARY																															Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																																									a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																																											b. Disappearance																																																																											c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																																			Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																																																		d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																																			Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																																																		e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																																			Trial Procedures																																																								Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																																																		f. Transnational Repression																																																																											g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																																											h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																																																	Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																																									a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																																			Internet Freedom																																																																																																																		b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																																			Freedom of Peaceful Assembly																																																								Freedom of Association																																																																																																																		c. Freedom of Religion																																																																											d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																																											e. Protection of Refugees																																																																																	Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																																									Elections and Political Participation																																																																																	Section 4. Corruption in Government																															Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																															Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																																									Women																																																																											Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																																											Children																																																																											Antisemitism																																																																											Trafficking in Persons																																																																											Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																																											Persons with Disabilities																																																																																	Section 7. Worker Rights																																																									a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																																											b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																																											c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																																											d. Discrimination (see Section 6)																																																																											e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																																																																							EXECUTIVE SUMMARY				There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Tonga during the year.Significant human rights issues included credible reports of serious government corruption, and a law criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults, although it was not enforced.The government took credible steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.																														Section 1.													 Respect for the Integrity of the Person												    																																																a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings										There were no reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings.																																				b. Disappearance										There were no reports of disappearances by or on behalf of government authorities.																																				c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses										The law prohibited such practices, and there were no credible reports that government officials employed them.																Prison and Detention Center Conditions						Hu’atolitoli Prison and its psychiatric facility on the country’s main island were overcrowded as substance abuse and mental illness continued to generate pressure for space in the prison system.Abusive Physical Conditions: In 2021 Hu’atolitoli Prison cells built for one individual were holding up to four persons, and the prison lacked a facility to hold women psychiatric patients separately from other prisoners. It was not known whether these conditions persisted during the year.Administration: There were procedures in place for the investigation of credible allegations of mistreatment.Independent Monitoring: The government permitted monitoring visits by international human rights observers, although there were no requests for such visits in recent years as the country’s borders, shut when the pandemic struck in 2020, remained closed until August 2, 2022. In prior years church leaders visited inmates approximately four to six times.																										d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention										The constitution prohibited arbitrary arrest and detention and provided for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of their arrest or detention in court, and the government generally observed these requirements.																Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees						Authorities generally brought those arrested before a local magistrate within 24 hours, including on weekends and holidays, for judicial determination of the legality of the detention. Authorities promptly informed arrested persons of charges against them. The law provided for a functioning bail system. Authorities generally facilitated access to arrested persons by counsel, family, and others. No legal aid framework existed to provide services for the indigent. Accused persons had to generally represent themselves if they could not afford legal counsel, although in more serious cases the judge could, but was not required, to appoint a pro bono lawyer.																										e. Denial of Fair Public Trial										The constitution provided for an independent judiciary, and the government generally respected judicial independence and impartiality.																Trial Procedures						The constitution provided for the right to a fair and public trial, and an independent judiciary generally enforced this right. Although unavailability of judges, witnesses, or lawyers could delay cases, legal authorities processed most cases without undue delay. There was no provision for public defenders, but local lawyers accepted pro bono cases on an ad hoc basis.						Political Prisoners and Detainees						There were no reports of political prisoners or detainees.																										f. Transnational Repression										Not applicable.																																				g. Property Seizure and Restitution										Not applicable.																																				h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence										The constitution prohibited such actions, and there were no reports that the government failed to respect these prohibitions.																																					Section 2.													 Respect for Civil Liberties												    																																																a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media										The constitution provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected these rights. An independent media, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system generally combined to promote freedom of expression, including for media members.Censorship or Content Restrictions for Members of the Press and Other Media, including Online Media: Independent media were active and expressed a wide variety of views without restriction, although some self-censorship occurred among journalists.Media outlets reported on political developments and high-profile court cases, but privately owned media exercised self-censorship when covering high-profile individuals.The board of the state-owned Tonga Broadcasting Commission appointed internal censors to review all its programming prior to broadcast, but the extent of their reviews was unknown. Journalists and media watchdogs remained concerned regarding the implications for media independence of regulations on the unlawful provision of false and misleading information and on noncompliance with license conditions, including a regulation imposing a significant fine for publishing or broadcasting sensitive information.Libel/Slander Laws: The 2020 revised Defamation Act criminalized defamation of persons with a fine not exceeding $1,000 and in default of payment to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 1 year. Any person defamed could bring a civil action claiming damages in respect of such defamation. Some self-censorship occurred among journalists who feared being bankrupted by lawsuits brought by politicians.																Internet Freedom						The government did not restrict or disrupt access to the internet or censor online content.																										b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association										The constitution provided for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and the government generally respected these rights.																Freedom of Peaceful Assembly						The law provided for freedom of assembly, and outside the Papua region the government generally respected this right. The law required demonstrators to provide police with written notice three days before any planned demonstration and required police to issue a receipt for the written notification. This receipt acted as a de facto license for the demonstration.Police in the Papua region routinely refused to issue demonstration receipts, claiming the demonstrations would include calls for independence, an act prohibited by law. A Papua provincial police decree prohibited rallies by seven organizations labeled as proindependence, including the National Committee of West Papua, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, and the Free Papua Movement. NGOs reported police routinely disrupted protests related to Papua across the country and arrested protesters.On August 12, the Jayapura district police arrested 21 members of the National Committee of West Papua for handing out flyers calling for a demonstration on August 15 to mark the anniversary of the 1962 New York Agreement, which led to what some Papuans described as the “forced” integration of Papua into Indonesia. Despite the arrests, demonstrators gathered in Sentani on August 15; Jayapura district police forcibly dispersed the crowd with a water cannon and beat 16 individuals, according to media reports.						Freedom of Association						The constitution and law provided for freedom of association, which the government generally respected. The regulations on registration of organizations were generally not onerous, although LGBTQI+ groups reported restrictions (see section 6).Foreign NGOs had to have a memorandum of understanding with a government ministry to register officially. Some organizations reported difficulties obtaining these memoranda and claimed the government withheld them to block their registration; they also blamed cumbersome bureaucracy within the Ministry of Law and Human Rights. Foreign NGOs operated in the country without registration, but they were unable to work directly with government programs.																										c. Freedom of Religion										See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report at  www.state.gov/religiousfreedomreport/.																																				d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country										The law provided for freedom of internal movement, foreign travel, emigration, and repatriation, and the government generally respected these rights.																																				e. Protection of Refugees										The government cooperated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian organizations in providing protection to refugees, asylum seekers, or other persons of concern.Access to Asylum: The law did not provide for the formal granting of asylum or refugee status, and the government had not established a system for providing protection to refugees. The principal immigration officer had wide discretionary powers under immigration laws and could allow noncitizens to remain in the country, including on humanitarian grounds.																																					Section 3.													 Freedom to Participate in the Political Process												    																						The constitution and law provided citizens the ability to choose their government in free and fair periodic elections held by secret ballot and based on universal and equal suffrage.																										Elections and Political Participation										Abuses or Irregularities in Recent Elections: The country held its most recent parliamentary election in November 2021. International observers deemed the election to be generally free and fair.Participation of Women and Members of Marginalized or Vulnerable Groups: No laws limited participation of women or members of marginalized or vulnerable groups in the political process; however, a variety of institutional and cultural factors kept women’s representation low. Among these were the reservation of nine seats in parliament for nobles, all of whom were men; continuing male domination of informal local government systems, which denied women entry-level positions in politics; and attitudes across the population regarding women’s proper roles and competence. A woman could become queen, but the constitution forbade women from inheriting hereditary noble titles or becoming chiefs.There were no members of ethnic minority groups in the government or parliament.																																					Section 4.													 Corruption in Government												    																						The law provided criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government generally implemented the law effectively. There were reports of government corruption during the year.Corruption: The Office of the Auditor General reported directly to the Legislative Assembly, aiming to enhance accountability and transparency in all government activities and improve public-sector performance. The Office of the Ombudsman was empowered to investigate official corruption. Both entities actively collaborated with other government agencies but were not considered by civil society groups to be independent of political control, operationally efficient, or sufficiently resourced.In February the Legislative Assembly approved the Anti-Corruption Commissioner Amendment Bill 2023, paving the way for the establishment of an Anti-Corruption Commissioner’s Office.																											Section 5.													 Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights												    																						Domestic and international human rights groups generally operated without government restriction to monitor or investigate human rights conditions or cases and publish their findings. Government officials were often cooperative and responsive to the views of these groups.Government Human Rights Bodies: The Office of the Ombudsman worked to protect the rights of citizens. Civil society groups did not consider the ombudsman to be independent and effective.																											Section 6.													 Discrimination and Societal Abuses												    																																																Women										Rape and Domestic Violence: Rape of women was punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison. “Indecent assault” of men was punishable by a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment. The law recognized spousal rape. Domestic violence was a crime punishable by a maximum of 12 months in prison, a substantial fine, or both. Repeat offenders faced a maximum penalty of three years in prison or a steeper maximum fine. The law provided for protection from domestic violence, including by issuance of protection orders; clarified the duties of police; and promoted the health, safety, and well-being of domestic violence victims.The government also provided financial support to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that assisted survivors of sexual violence. The police domestic-violence unit had a “no-drop” policy for complaints of domestic assault; once filed, domestic violence cases could not be withdrawn and had to proceed to prosecution in the magistrates’ courts.Other Forms of Gender-based Violence or Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment was not a crime under the law, but physical sexual assault could be prosecuted as indecent assault. Complaints received by the police domestic violence unit indicated sexual harassment of women was a common problem.Discrimination: Inheritance laws, especially those covering land, discriminated against women. Women could lease land, but inheritance rights passed through male heirs only; a male child born out of wedlock took precedence over the deceased’s widow or daughter. If there were no male relatives, a widow was entitled to remain on her husband’s land if she did not remarry and remained celibate. The inheritance and land rights laws also reduced women’s ability to access credit and to own and operate businesses.Discrimination against women with respect to employment and wages occurred. Women participated in the work force at a lower rate than men, were generally employed in lower-skilled jobs, and earned measurably less than men. The gender pay gap, the skills gap, and fewer opportunities to advance in their careers were barriers to women’s economic security.Reproductive Rights: There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.There were no legal barriers to accessing contraception, but some religious beliefs and cultural barriers, including the stigma attached to certain health topics, caused reluctance among women to visit clinics offering modern contraceptive methods. The Guttmacher Institute, an international NGO, reported that in 2019, among women ages 15 to 49 who wanted to avoid a pregnancy, 49 percent had an unmet need for such methods. According to a 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey carried out by the government and supported by UNICEF, approximately 16 percent of women who reported menstruating in the previous 12 months also reported they did not participate in social activities, school, or work while menstruating. The government provided access to health care, including emergency contraception and postexposure prophylaxis, to survivors of sexual violence or incest who sought it within five days of the crime.																																				Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination										The law restricted ownership and operation of retail food stores to citizens. Ethnic Chinese who were naturalized Tongan citizens dominated the retail sector in many towns. There were reports in recent years of crime and societal discrimination directed at members of the Chinese minority.																																				Children										Child Abuse: There were laws against child abuse and the government generally enforced laws effectively. If a case was reported to police, the child was removed from the parents or guardians and placed in the care of either the Women and Children Crisis Center or the National Center for Women and Children while police investigated. The Women and Children Crisis Center continued to implement a variety of child-abuse awareness programs at schools from primary to tertiary levels.Child, Early, and Forced Marriage: The legal minimum age for marriage was 15, but boys and girls ages 15-17 required parental consent to marry. No data was available on enforcement of the law. According to international civil society network Girls Not Brides, 3 percent of boys and 10 percent of girls married before age 18. According to Girls Not Brides and other NGOs, child marriages were a result of several factors driven by gender inequality. Some young girls were compelled by parental pressure to marry men who raped them to prevent family shame. Teenage pregnancy forced others to marry to preserve family honor.Sexual Exploitation of Children: The minimum age for consensual sex was 15. Persons who sexually abused children could be charged with “carnal knowledge of a child under age 12,” which carried a maximum penalty of life in prison, or “carnal knowledge of a child under 15,” which carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison. There were anecdotal reports of children being exploited in sex trafficking. The law prohibited the procurement of women and girls younger than age 21 for commercial sexual exploitation but did not criminalize the procurement of boys for the same purpose. The law also prohibited child pornography with penalties of a substantial fine or a maximum of 10 years in prison for individuals and a steeper maximum fine for corporations; however, the abuse of children younger than age 14 in the production of pornography was not criminally prohibited. Authorities enforced the laws against procurement of children for commercial sexual exploitation and child pornography.																																				Antisemitism										There was no known resident Jewish community, and there were no known reports of antisemitic incidents.																																				Trafficking in Persons										See the Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics										Criminalization: Same-sex sexual activity was prohibited under the Criminal Offences Act, which criminalized acts of “sodomy.” This provision carried a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. While this provision used gender-neutral language, only male, same-sex, sexual activity seemed to be generally acknowledged. There were no reports of prosecutions under this provision for consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.Violence and Harassment: Social stigma or intimidation could have prevented reporting of incidents of violence or discrimination.Discrimination: The law did not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics, or recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) couples, and their families. Society accepted a subculture of transgender dress and behavior, and a prominent NGO’s annual festival highlighted transgender identities.Availability of Legal Gender Recognition: Legal gender recognition, by which the government allowed individuals to change their gender identity marker on legal and identifying documents to bring them into alignment with their gender identity, was not available. There were no nonbinary or intersex options on government documents.Involuntary or Coercive Medical or Psychological Practices: There were no reports of involuntary or coercive medical practices used with LGBTQI+ persons. There was no information available whether so-called conversion therapy was practiced to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. There was no information available whether medically unnecessary and irreversible normalization surgeries were performed on children or on nonconsenting adult intersex persons.Restrictions of Freedom of Expression, Association, or Peaceful Assembly: There were no restrictions on speaking out regarding LGBTQI+ matters such as so-called antigay propaganda laws, “hate speech” laws, or restrictions on the ability of LGBTQI+ organizations to legally register or convene events such as Pride festivities.																																				Persons with Disabilities										The constitution broadly prohibited discrimination based on disability, but no laws specifically prohibited discrimination against persons with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities. There were no legally mandated services or government programs for adults with disabilities, including for building accessibility or access to communications and information. According to an October 2022 Universal Periodic Review by international legal nonprofit Just Atonement, the government had yet to address the needs of individuals with disabilities, including ensuring their rights to housing, employment opportunity, health care, transportation, and education.The National Council on Disability and the Ministry of Internal Affairs maintained a program to provide modest financial assistance to persons with disabilities.Although there were limited provisions for accessible or specialized transport on roads and at sea for persons with disabilities, many were confined in their homes, unable to access health services, attend school, or be employed. Public buses were not accessible. Accessibility to maritime transportation was poor and passengers with disabilities traveling to and from the outer islands generally had to be physically lifted onto the vessel, which could be hazardous.A Ministry of Education and Training program to bring children with disabilities into primary schools continued during the year. Many school buildings, however, were not accessible to students with physical disabilities, and attendance rates of children with disabilities at all educational levels were lower than those of students without disabilities.Persons with disabilities experienced discrimination in hiring and access to the workplace.																																					Section 7.													 Worker Rights												    																																																a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining										The law provided for the right to form and join independent unions, but the government did not promulgate regulations on the formation of unions, collective bargaining, or the right to strike. No law specifically prohibited antiunion discrimination or provided for reinstatement of workers fired for union activity. There was no dispute resolution mechanism in place specifically for labor disputes, although persons could take cases to court or refer cases to the Office of the Ombudsman. The law did not include a right to collective bargaining, and there were no reports it occurred.The government did not take effective action to implement and enforce the law, but employers generally respected freedom of association. Penalties for legal violations included criminal fines, which were not commensurate with those under other laws involving denials of civil rights, such as discrimination, and which were seldom applied. Administrative and judicial procedures were subject to lengthy delays and appeals.Trade unions and a variety of other worker associations existed. For example, the Friendly Islands Teachers Association and the Tonga Nurses Association were legally incorporated as civil society organizations, and the Friendly Islands Seafarer’s Union Incorporated was affiliated with the International Transport Workers Federation. The Public Service Association acted as a de facto union representing all government employees.																																				b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor										See the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report at  https://www.state.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report/.																																				c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment										See the Department of Labor’s Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/findings/.																																				d. Discrimination (see Section 6)																																														e. Acceptable Conditions of Work										Wage and Hour Laws: There was no minimum wage, but the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation, and Labor set minimum wage guidelines.The law established a 40-hour workweek but did not provide for overtime pay or for at least three paid holidays. Some employers, including some government offices, paid their workers overtime, and most provided paid holidays.Occupational Safety and Health: The law stipulated occupational safety and health (OSH) standards for each sector, such as fisheries and agriculture. These standards were appropriate for main industries and covered persons in domestic service. Protected workers could remove themselves from situations that endangered health or safety without jeopardizing their employment.Wage, Hour, and OSH Enforcement: The government did not effectively enforce the law. Penalties for violations were not commensurate with those for similar crimes, such as fraud or negligence. Penalties were rarely applied against violators. The government did not have inspectors to enforce compliance.A large proportion of the population was in the informal sector, specifically in agriculture and small-scale manufacturing, but official figures for the size of the informal economy were not available. Recent reports estimated that approximately 56 percent of workers in the informal sector were casually or temporarily employed, and 36 percent were employed part-time. The law stipulated that part-time employees working at least a 15-hour workweek should be covered by wage, hour, and OSH laws. The Ministry of Commerce, Consumer, Trade, Innovation, and Labor had the authority to enforce labor standards in all sectors, including the informal economy; however, there were no inspectors to enforce compliance.																																				    							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Respect for the Integrity of the Person																																							a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings																																																						b. Disappearance																																																						c. Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Other Related Abuses																																																				Prison and Detention Center Conditions																																																																																				d. Arbitrary Arrest or Detention																																																				Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees																																																																																				e. Denial of Fair Public Trial																																																				Trial Procedures																																												Political Prisoners and Detainees																																																																																				f. Transnational Repression																																																						g. Property Seizure and Restitution																																																						h. Arbitrary or Unlawful Interference with Privacy, Family, Home, or Correspondence																																																			Section 2. Respect for Civil Liberties																																							a. Freedom of Expression, Including for Members of the Press and Other Media																																																				Internet Freedom																																																																																				b. Freedoms of Peaceful Assembly and Association																																																				Freedom of Peaceful Assembly																																												Freedom of Association																																																																																				c. Freedom of Religion																																																						d. Freedom of Movement and the Right to Leave the Country																																																						e. Protection of Refugees																																																			Section 3. Freedom to Participate in the Political Process																																							Elections and Political Participation																																																			Section 4. Corruption in Government																Section 5. Governmental Posture Towards International and Nongovernmental Monitoring and Investigation of Alleged Abuses of Human Rights																Section 6. Discrimination and Societal Abuses																																							Women																																																						Systemic Racial or Ethnic Violence and Discrimination																																																						Children																																																						Antisemitism																																																						Trafficking in Persons																																																						Acts of Violence, Criminalization, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression, or Sex Characteristics																																																						Persons with Disabilities																																																			Section 7. Worker Rights																																							a. Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining																																																						b. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor																																																						c. Prohibition of Child Labor and Minimum Age for Employment																																																						d. Discrimination (see Section 6)																																																						e. Acceptable Conditions of Work																																																									Tags																					Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor																								Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs																								Tonga
- Spotlight on Embassy Nuku‘alofa, Tonga Bureau of Global Public AffairsShalom KonstantinoAs part of Secretary Blinken’s Modernization Agenda, the State Department has been focused on ensuring that our workforce and presence around the world are fit for purpose to meet the challenges of diplomacy in the 21st century.  Vital to these efforts has been expanding American diplomacy in places where we have had little presence or no presence.  In a series of three DipNotes, we will speak with leaders at several of our newest embassies in the region.  At most official events, dignitaries receive &#8220;kahoas&#8221;, which are much like Hawaiian leis. Each one is unique and Brad always takes a photo for his Instagram account as a digital scrapbook. Embassy Nuku‘alofa Chargé d’affaires Brad Coley   Brad Coley is currently serving as the chargé d’affaires at one of the world’s newest U.S. embassies:  Embassy Nuku‘alofa in the Kingdom of Tonga.  Brad previously served overseas in our embassies in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; London, United Kingdom; and Conakry, Guinea.  He has also worked in Washington, D.C., in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Foreign Service Institute, and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.  The view from the U.S. Embassy in Tonga looking over a tropical rainstorm. &nbsp;Opening a New EmbassyRealizing such an important tangible symbol of the U.S.-Tonga partnership with the opening of an embassy is a unique opportunity.  However, there are many challenges, and Brad is currently the only resident U.S. diplomat.  He notes that “it can be a bit of a challenge to be the very first of anything.  Good communication with colleagues in Washington, D.C. is critical.  Helpfully, my overseas tours have prepared me well to rely on myself in the middle of the Blue Pacific as the first &#8216;permanent&#8217; American employee at Embassy Nuku‘alofa.  Ambassador Alex Laskaris was my second ambassador during my first tour in Conakry, Guinea, and he often said that in the Foreign Service, ‘nothing is above you, and nothing is beneath you.’  I try to live out that saying every day, and oftentimes the work makes it very easy to do just that!”  Secretary Blinken, Tonga&#8217;s Crown Prince Tupouto&#8217;a &#8216;Ulukalala, Crown Princess Sinaitakala, and Ambassador Marie Damour at the dedication of the new U.S. embassy in Nuku&#8217;alofa, Tonga. &nbsp;The Opening of Embassy Nuku‘alofa:  A Symbol of Renewal in the U.S-Tonga Relationship and Partnerships in the Indo-PacificThe top priority of the State Department is the safety and security of U.S. citizens.  As soon as we opened Embassy Nukuʻalofa, the embassy began hosting regular visits from our consular team in Embassy Suva.  These regular visits will continue until there is a full consular section in Tonga that will handle American Citizen Services as well as visa services for Tongans wishing to travel to the United States.  Brad is also working with the government and people of Tonga on key shared priorities.  Some of these include regional efforts on climate, disaster preparedness and resilience, maritime security, fisheries, oceans, and digital connectivity.  For example, the United States provided funding to install ramps and other accessibility features at community evacuation centers.  We also partnered to install hygiene facilities that cater to women and girls in the same evacuation facilities.  These efforts help ensure that all people are able to use these centers and stay safe in case of a disaster.  Maritime security is key to all countries in the region.  The U.S. Coast Guard regularly visits the country for training and recently led a course on boarding procedures for members of the Tongan navy, police, customs, and fisheries. Brad Coley at the opening of a U.S.-funded workshop to help Tongans realize their national action plan to counter trafficking in persons and to protect vulnerable migrants. &nbsp;Exploring and Appreciating the Tongan CultureDespite his previous experience in the Pacific, Brad noted that he was surprised that Tonga feels “a lot like a small town in America.”  There are approximately 70,000 people on the island of Tongatapu, where the U.S. Embassy is located, and approximately 40,000 who live on Tonga&#8217;s other islands.  “Everybody knows everybody, and everybody is connected to everybody.  That can be a terrific way to network and can make it easy to find the right person.” As a member of the LGBTQI+ community, Brad noted that living in a deeply religious and traditional society is not without its challenges, but described some traditions and reforms that are signs of progress.  In the country there is a tradition of fakaleitīs, Tongan individuals assigned male at birth who have a feminine gender expression.  While they do not strictly identify as members of the LGBTQI+ community, they have been involved in reforming colonial-era laws on sexuality and gender expression.  The Miss Galaxy Pageant, organized by the Tongan Leitis&#8217; Association, is a widely attended event each July with members of the royal family having served as judges.  There is even a documentary made about the pageant in 2018 titled Leitis in Waiting.  The United States is working to amplify the good work being done by the local LGBTQI+ community and other human rights advocates.    Secretary Blinken with Peace Corps volunteers in Nuku&#8217;alofa, Tonga. &nbsp;The Future of Our Partnership Tonga is a vital U.S. partner, and its priorities often reflect those of the wider Indo-Pacific region.  Together, we are working to support Tonga’s priorities during its year as Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) chair.  Tonga’s prime minister has highlighted climate finance as a priority for the region, and Embassy Nukuʻalofa is working to align regional U.S. assistance with this priority.  Beyond its PIF chair year, we are working to support disaster risk reduction, digital connectivity, and a just and equitable energy transition.  Peace Corps volunteers have now returned to Tonga after the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have resumed English language education at primary schools.  At Tonga’s request, the next cohort of Peace Corps volunteers will include volunteers focused on environmental and climate response.  The future of the U.S.-Tonga relationship is bright.  We look forward to working together to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. About the Author:  Shalom Konstantino is a Public Affairs professional in the Office of Global Communications Strategy in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs.  He is married to a Foreign Service Officer and they are currently based in Luxembourg.
- Tonga National Day Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateOn behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of the Kingdom of Tonga as you mark the 148th anniversary of the adoption of your nation’s constitution on November 4, 1875.With the opening of U.S. Embassy Nuku‘alofa earlier this year, the United States has begun deepening our long-standing partnership based upon shared values and close cooperation. I witnessed the depth of the people-to-people exchanges during my trip to dedicate the embassy in July. With the return of Peace Corps volunteers, newly-arrived permanent staff at our Embassy, and a Fulbright scholar working on disaster risk reduction, I am confident that the ties between the United States and the Kingdom of Tonga will grow stronger than ever.My warmest wishes are with all citizens of the Kingdom of Tonga on this happy day.
- Digital Press Briefing with Captain Claudine Caluori, U.S. Navy, Mission Commander of Pacific Partnership 2023 Captain Claudine Caluori, U.S. Navy, Mission Commander of Pacific Partnership 2023MODERATOR:  Greetings from the U.S. Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub.  I would like to welcome journalists to today’s on-the-record briefing with Captain Claudine Caluori, U.S. Navy, Mission Commander of Pacific Partnership 2023.  Captain Caluori will discuss this year’s Pacific Partnership, the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific.  This year’s mission included stops in Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Fiji, Samoa, Palau, and Papua New Guinea, and will continue through the end of the year with a stop in Tonga.She will be joined today by Director of Medical Operations for Pacific Partnership 2023, U.S. Navy Captain Robert Carpenter and the Mission Engineer, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Colby Gilbert.With that, let’s get started.  Captain Caluori, I’ll turn it over to you for your opening remarks.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Thank you, and good afternoon.  I am U.S. Navy Captain Claudine Caluori.  I’m the Mission Commander for Pacific Partnership 2023.  When I’m not on mission, I am also the Commander of Destroyer Squadron 31, which is based out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.First, let me start off by thanking you for being with us today and hearing about the great accomplishments that the 2023 Pacific Partnership mission is currently carrying out in the Pacific.  In my almost 25 years of service in the United States Navy, this has truly been one of the most astonishing missions of my career.So Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific.  Each year our mission team works with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities.  We increase security and stability and we foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.  The relationship between the countries we have visited and our partners are deep and enduring.So on behalf of the U.S. Navy and the Pacific Partnership crew, we are honored to have visited so many wonderful countries, and we’re excited about our last mission stop on this incredible journey.  The Pacific Partnership 2023 team embarked on the Harpers Fairy-class dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor LSD 52 and was joined by the Independence-Class littoral combat ship USS Jackson, or LCS-6.As stated earlier, our mission began in August in Vietnam, and we’ve successfully completed stops in the Philippines, Malaysia, Samoa, Palau, Papua New Guinea, and we’re about to complete our stop here in Fiji.  And this is actually our second stop here in Fiji on this current mission.  A small crew of U.S. sailors had the opportunity to board the Japanese tank landing ship, the Japanese ship Shimokita, and they visited the Tailevu province just this past August, where they executed a mangrove revitalization project with other U.S. Navy and Army, the Royal New Zealand Navy and Air Force, the Japanese Maritime and Ground Self-Defense Forces, the Republic of Fiji Maritime Military Forces, and students of the Ballantine Memorial Secondary School.So as I mentioned earlier, the USS Jackson serves as a secondary platform for our mission, and they made their first stop in Fiji, where our team and the ship’s personnel visited the Lautoka School for Special Education, and they held a rugby match.  Unfortunately, they lost that match, but hey, they tried.  But it was at the Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswami Memorial College.  They also gave tours aboard the ship, and they were very grateful to have given this opportunity to visit Fiji not once but twice.And so this mission has allowed us to promote interoperability and multinational cooperation with allies and partners by highlighting multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief through medical and engineering projects, and it’s also in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.We continue our mission throughout the South Pacific until the end of the year.  We are now in its 18th year.  So Pacific Partnership 2023 consists of nearly 1,500 U.S. and partner nation personnel who will carry out this mission.  And it’s a joint effort on behalf of Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom and the United States.And just for some background, Pacific Partnership was born out of the devastation wrought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, and began as a humanitarian response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters.So at the invitation of hosts and nations, our mission partners visit and conduct tailored humanitarian civic action preparedness activities in the areas such as engineering, disaster response, public health, and other outreach events.  And additional criteria are also considered, such as host nations’ objectives and desires.  The enduring goal of Pacific Partnership is promoting interoperability and multinational cooperation through multiple lines of effort to help be regional – help build, sorry, regional resilience and the capacity to respond to disasters.Our projects, as I said earlier, have been tailored at the request of host nations.  So while on our mission stops, we conduct these projects throughout cities and provinces that were selected.  And we have and we will continue to conduct subject matter expert exchanges in public health and preventative medicine, also in adult and pediatric medicine, basic life support, first aid lectures, dental care, and veterinary services.  These medical subject matter expert exchanges are designed to share expertise across participating nation providers to combine provider practices and bring cultural awareness.So Pacific Partnership transitioned from its primary focus of providing direct care to focus on collective capacity building.  So any direct care provided will be shoulder to shoulder with host nation and partner nations.  And the intent is that we share the knowledge and skills that are enduring and applicable well after the mission is completed.So military and civilian leaders agree about the necessity of collaboration to respond to disasters and emergencies quickly and effectively.  As we all know, storms and catastrophic events don’t know a country’s boundaries.  And this mission allows us to show response capabilities and show that we can prepare in calm to be able to respond to a crisis.As you are all very much aware, I’m sure, Indo-Pacific is within what the scientists call the Pacific Ring of Fire, and it’s not about if, but when we will need to work collectively to respond to natural disasters.  So the United States and our partners, we stand ready to assist when called upon.  Some recent relief efforts include the 2022 volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga; the 2018 Super Typhoon Yutu relief efforts in the Northern Mariana Islands; and the 2011 relief efforts during Operation Tomodachi in Japan, which followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.  So just to name few.So again, thanks for joining us and I’m happy to take your questions.MODERATOR:  Thank you, Captain Caluori.  We will now turn to the question-and-answer portion of today’s briefing.Our first question goes to Huizhong Wu of AP based in Bangkok, Thailand, who submitted their question in advance.  “I’d like to hear about U.S. military partnerships in the Federated States of Micronesia.”CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Thank you for your question.  So just recently, sailors and Marines assigned to Task Force Koa Moana 23 demonstrated their skills while bolstering U.S. alliances in the Pacific region.  So that task force, they worked on a series of construction projects in several Indo-Pacific nations over the summer.  The latest was the renovation of a – I can’t – of a municipal center on the island of Yap, Micronesia.  So just like Pacific Partnership, their mission helps to improve the health and safety of the communities, which in turn enhance U.S. relationships with its partners.Additionally, Pacific Partnership has visited the Federated States of Micronesia several times over the last years, to include 20 – 2008, ’11, ’15, most recently in 2019 with the USNS Brunswick, and they will also be visited in 2024, in January, with the USNS Mercy as a part of their mission coming up.MODERATOR:  Our next question goes to Bethany Allen of Axios based in Taipei, Taiwan.  And Bethany, I see that you also inputted your question in the Q&amp;A.  If you would like to unmute and pose your question, please do so now.QUESTION:  Can you hear me?MODERATOR:  Yes, please go ahead.QUESTION:  Okay.  Yes, thank you.  I noticed that the Solomon Islands is not on the list of participating countries this year.  I know it has participated for several years in the past, including last year when it was supposed to participate and then in the ended up denying access to a U.S. Navy vessel but still allowed access to a U.S. hospital ship during the Pacific Partnership.  Why are they not on the list this year?  And is that related to their growing security partnership with China?  Thank you.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Hi, Bethany.  Thank you for your question.  So to answer that, Pacific Partnership 24-1 is with the hospital ship USNS Mercy.  They will actually be going to the Solomon Islands.  Actually, they’re going to be arriving in the Solomon Islands – I think it’s on or around 18 November – and they’ll depart on 3 December.As far as the second part of your question, I can’t comment on any claims or hypothetical accusations on a previous mission.  However, last year from May through September, the USNS Mercy did stop in Palau and Philippines and Vietnam in addition to several events that included Federated States and Micronesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, and Papua New Guinea.MODERATOR:  The next question goes to Vincent Choi from the South China Morning Post based in Hong Kong.  Vincent, if you could please unmute and please pose your question.QUESTION:  Hi, can you hear me?MODERATOR:  YesCAPTAIN CALUORI:  Yes, we can.  Thank you.QUESTION:  Yes.  Yeah, so there has been frequent clashes between Chinese and Philippine coast guard near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.  So how does the U.S. Navy observe the situation here and what are the plans you have regarding the cooperation with the Philippine navy in the in the region?  Thank you.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Okay, can you say the second half of your question?  I think I caught the first half, but I didn’t quite grab the second one.QUESTION:  Oh yeah, okay.  So what are your – what are the plans you have regarding the cooperation with the Philippine navy in the South China Sea?CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Okay, great.  Thank you, Vincent.  I appreciate your question.  As far as – I’ll address the second one first, where we just talked about the cooperation.  And I just want to reiterate that our government has reaffirmed that a strong U.S.-Philippine alliance is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and that we’ll continue to partner closely with the Philippines.  And I know you’re aware that for more than 70 years the U.S. Navy has maintained a persistent maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific, and the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is committed to continuing its forward presence, which is focused on stability and regional cooperation and economic prosperity for all nations.And then as far as the first part of your question, it’s like we’ll continue – the U.S. will continue to fly, sail, and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows.  And the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Joint Force, we remain dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and we expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific to operate in international waters safely and in accordance with international law.MODERATOR:  Our next question goes to Gordon Arthur from Naval News based in Christchurch, New Zealand.  Gordon, if you could please unmute and please ask your question now.QUESTION:  Hi there, Captain.  Thanks very much for this opportunity to listen and to ask you questions.  My question is to do with China, and I know the last few months in particular Chinese – China has been performing naval diplomacy in the South Pacific.  There have been hospital ships, training ships.  So just wondering, do you see the U.S. as complementing or competing with China for influence in the South Pacific?  And also during Pacific Partnership, have you had any encounters or contact with the PLA Navy?  Thank you.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Thank you, Gordon, for your question.  So the U.S. Navy and our allies and partners, we value our growing cooperation with host nations and we look forward to enhancing the lines of communication and understanding that promotes greater cooperation and partnerships that benefit all nations.  And all Pacific Partnership 2023 operations are driven by host nation requests and approval.  As I stated earlier, the host nations invite the U.S. Navy and its mission partners to visit and conduct tailored humanitarian civic action preparedness activities in areas such as engineering, disaster response, public health and outreach events.  And all – again, all additional criteria are taken into consideration, such as the host nation objections and desires.  But I am not aware of any contacts at this time.MODERATOR:  Okay, we’re going to go to a question that was submitted in advance from Angie Chen of the Central News Agency based in Manila, Philippines.  “We are seeing higher tensions in the South China Sea, but some are worried that the U.S. is distracted by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.  Will this concern be addressed in the Pacific Partnership this year?”CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Okay, thanks for the question.  Pacific Partnership is conducted yearly, so it’s not in response to any nation or current events.  Pacific Partnership does have an enduring history as a multinational mission designed to bring several nations together to build relationships, enhance interoperability, and elevate preparedness for responding to disaster emergencies in the region.So the focus is disaster relief preparation.  And as I stated earlier, for more than 70 years the U.S. Navy has maintained a persistent maritime presence in the Indo-Pacific, and we remain committed to continuing this forward presence, which is focused on stability, regional cooperation, and economic prosperity for all nations.  And as always, a free Indo-Pacific is vital to the interests of the United States and its allies and partners.MODERATOR:  Okay, our next question will go to Dat Duong Quoc from Trí newspaper in Vietnam.  If you could please unmute and ask your question now.QUESTION:  Hello.  Thank you for doing this.  So am I premature to ask about whether Vietnam will be included in the next year Pacific Partnership?  And has Vietnamese authorities made any invitation to you for the next year?  Thank you.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Hi.  Thank you for your question.  I am not aware if Vietnam is included in next year’s Pacific Partnership.  We have been going to Vietnam over the last several years, and the last time we were in Vietnam was – we were just in Phú Yên province, where we conducted over 119 events over 10 days.  And we’re looking forward to future collaboration with Vietnam.  And again, our relationship with Vietnam continues to grow stronger across an increasingly broad range of subjects, and Pacific Partnership is a way that we continue to develop these relationships.  Thank you.MODERATOR:  The next question will go to the Q&amp;A queue.  We have a correspondent from the Joongangilbo in South Korea.  If you would like to unmute and ask your question now, please do so.Okay, I will ask the question.  So this is from Joongangilbo from South Korea.  “We already have two wars in the Middle East and Europe, and there are many reports about military conflicts between the U.S. and China in Asia, especially around Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.  Do you think – do you think there is some possibility to occur another war in this area?  Thank you.”CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Thank you again for your question.  So our allies and partners are one of our greatest strengths and key strategic advantage.  We’re advancing a shared vision alongside our allies and partners of a free and open and secure Indo-Pacific, and we continue to deepen our connections with regional allies and partners, and we will continue to support our allies and partners as they strengthen those relationships with each other.  And we are committed – we remain committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region where all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, can pursue economic opportunity, and resolve disputes without coercion, and of course have the freedom to navigate and fly consistent with international laws and norms.MODERATOR:  The next question will go to Chino Gaston from the GMA Network Incorporated in Manila, Philippines, who submitted his question in advance.  “China has shown it will carry out law enforcement action against the Philippines to the extent of causing collisions with Philippine boats.  The Philippines is looking for help.  Will the U.S. help or will it continue to merely monitor the situation on the basis that gray zone operations do not bring about obligations under the MDT?”CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Okay, thank you for your question.  And so while I cannot comment directly on the U.S. response, again, I will say that the U.S. will continue to fly, sail, and operate safely and responsibly wherever international law allows.  These actions are destabilizing and they threaten the region’s security and prosperity.  And this is why our primary focus is on strengthening deterrence in collaboration with our growing network of allies and partners.  And we remain focused on building and strengthening international relationships both in preparation for and in response to disaster emergencies.MODERATOR:  We have just a few more minutes left for questions, so this next one will go to Joseph Thaddeus Morong.  Please unmute and ask your question.QUESTION:  Hi, good afternoon.  Can you hear me?MODERATOR:  Yes.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Yes.QUESTION:  Hello?  Yeah, alright.  Cool.  Would the U.S. Navy be interested in joining the rotation and resupply mission of the Philippine coast guard?Hello?CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Hi, Joseph.  Sorry.QUESTION:  Yeah.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  I had the mute on.  (Laughter.)QUESTION:  That’s all right.  That’s all right.  Should I repeat my question?CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Yes, please do.QUESTION:  Okay.  So right now, the ones that are involved in the resupply missions in the Second Thomas Shoal are the Philippine coast guard primarily, but there have been ISR help from the U.S. State Department.  My question is:  Would the U.S. Navy be interested in a more proactive role in the sense that it will join the resupply missions in the Second Thomas Shoal just to send a message that the Philippines maybe is not alone in maintaining the (inaudible) there?CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Okay, Joe.  Thank you so much for your question.  And I just want to say that our government has reaffirmed that we have a strong U.S.-Philippine alliance, which is vital to the free and open Indo-Pacific region, and that we’ll continue to partner closely with the Philippines.  And I do want to say that our relations are based on strong historical and cultural linkages, and a shared commitment to democracy and human rights.  These strong people-to-people ties and economic cooperation provide additional avenues to engage on bilateral and regional and global issues.  And it’s like our alliance continues to contribute to the security of our two nations while also strengthening the rules-based order that benefits all nations within the Indo-Pacific.  Thank you again for your question.MODERATOR:  And our last question will go to David Santos from CNN Philippines.  Please unmute and ask your question.QUESTION:  Hi, thank you for doing this.  I think we spoke to you, ma’am, in La Unión a few months back when Pacific Partnership was here.  I would like to ask, we are – the Philippines is marking the 10th year since Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the eastern Philippines, and we know that Pacific Partnership or the U.S. Government in general was part in that multinational response during that particular catastrophe.  I know that our security and defense alliance is largely focused on joint trainings, sharing of intelligence information, enhancing our defense capabilities.  But can you talk to us how HADR – humanitarian assistance and disaster response – has played a key role in enhancing that defense alliance?  Thank you very much.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Hi, David.  Thank you.  And yes, I do remember our conversations when we were in San Fernando.  And thank you for your question.  I will say that having – having our continued cooperation through humanitarian assistance and disaster relief is one of the ways that we can continue to promote greater cooperation and our partnership.  It’s one of those things where it’s almost a base level to continue and moving forward.  Because it’s something that we’re – no matter what we’re going to have to respond to it.  It’s like when we go out, we have this mission to where the hope is that we can become recovery and relief experts in order to better assist each other as we prepare for the next catastrophic events.  And the goal is that we continue to work together and respond in a crisis.MODERATOR:  That brings us to the end of our time for today.  If you have any closing remarks, Captain Caluori, I’ll turn it back over to you.CAPTAIN CALUORI:  Yes, thank you so much.  I just want to kind of highlight a few of the things that we’ve done.  Well, multilateral missions like Pacific Partnerships are based on the common goal of enhancing regional stability with allies and partners, and it’s a unifying mission that fosters enduring friendships and cooperation among many nations.  And I just want to give a few statistics.I mean, so far over the last 3 months, we have conducted over 489 events, 316 of which were medical.  We’ve done 99 outreach events.  We’ve done 34 HADR symposiums and tabletop exercises.  And our engineers have conducted over 38 renovation and new construction projects so far.And I just want to say that having this Pacific Partnership continues to build trust among nations to work effectively together, and it’s crucial to maintaining peace and stability in the region.  Thank you again for everyone.MODERATOR:  Thank you to the participants for your questions today, and thank you to Captain Caluori for joining us, and thanks to your team as well from the Pacific Partnership 2023.  We will provide a transcript of this briefing to participating journalists as soon as it is available.  We’d also love to hear your feedback and you can contact us at any time at AsiaPacMedia@state.gov.  Thank you again for your participation and we hope you can join us for another briefing soon.
- Digital Press Briefing with Daniel J. Kritenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania Daniel J. Kritenbrink, Assistant SecretaryBureau of East Asian and Pacific AffairsDr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for East Asia and OceaniaMODERATOR:  Greetings from the U.S. Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub.  I would like to welcome journalists today to the on-the-record briefing with Daniel J. Kritenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania.  The speakers will provide a readout on the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit.With that, let’s get started.  Dr. Rapp-Hooper, I’ll turn it over to you for your opening remarks.DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks so much, and thanks to you all for being here this evening, this morning.  We’re glad to have the opportunity to read you out the President’s really consequential summit of Pacific Islands Forum leaders here in Washington just a few days ago, and thrilled to be joining my friend and colleague Dan Kritenbrink to do so.As you know, this week, leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum were all in Washington for the second-ever U.S.-Pacific Island Leaders Summit.  By all accounts, this was an extremely successful and productive visit for the PIF leaders and for the President.  I’ll start with a brief recap of the leaders’ engagements over the past few days, and then I’ll discuss in brief some of the key deliverables that were announced over the course of the summit before handing the floor over to Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink.In advance of the formal meetings that took place in Washington, we got our summit started early on Sunday when Pacific Island Forum leaders took a trip from New York on a special Amtrak train down to Baltimore.  In Baltimore, the leaders attended a Baltimore Ravens game, where they were recognized for their role as American friends in the Indo-Pacific.  They even made it onto the field, where they were recognized before the game began.After the game, they toured a Coast Guard cutter ship in the Baltimore Harbor, the USS Forward, and had a meeting and opportunity to exchange views with Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan on key issues to Pacific Island leaders, including combating illegal fishing and effectively managing maritime domains.Following the Pacific Island Forum leaders’ trip to Baltimore, the leaders came to Washington, where they were hosted by President Biden at the White House on Monday for the second-ever U.S.-Pacific Summit.  They also attended a climate roundtable hosted by Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry as well as a dinner hosted by Secretary Blinken and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield about which Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink will say more in just a moment.On Tuesday, the leaders also met with members of the philanthropic community, U.S. businesses, and members of Congress.  We closed out the summit with a reception hosted by our friends at the Australian embassy, emphasizing the depths of our people-to-people ties.  And I look forward to Dan speaking to those engagements in a bit more detail very soon.At the summit with PIF leaders on Monday, President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to shared regional priorities and to deepening our cooperation, including to tackling the climate crisis, advancing economic growth, promoting sustainable development, countering illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and expanding our people-to-people ties.Before getting into the deliverables that we unveiled on Monday, I’d first like to take a step back and recognize the milestones of engagement with PIF countries that we have passed over the course of the last couple of years.Just in the last year, we have opened new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga in record time, thanks in no small part to the extraordinary work of our colleagues at the State Department.  We opened a USAID regional mission in Fiji and are returning the Peace Corps to the region after years of relative absence.  We are enhancing our engagement with the Pacific Islands Forum as the region’s leading institution, and we continue to expand U.S. cooperation and assistance programs throughout the region.At this year’s summit, we announced expanded ties with our recognition, our diplomatic recognition, of the Cook Islands and Niue, and the establishment of diplomatic relations with both of these Pacific Island nations.Since last year’s summit, this May, Secretary Blinken met with the Pacific Island Forum leaders in Papua New Guinea, and at this week’s summit, the Biden-Harris administration has continued to show that we are delivering on our promises.  All told, we have now announced a commitment to work with Congress towards over $8 billion in new funding and programs for the Pacific Island region.  And again, this is just in the last year.On Monday, President Biden announced a new slate of activities, including plans to work with Congress to request and provide nearly $200 million in new funding.  These programs seek to address the priority issues we hear about from Pacific Island leaders, including the climate crisis – which is existential for many of our Pacific Island friends – and we always stand shoulder to shoulder with them as they work to meet the challenge to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.The President on Monday also reaffirmed his commitment to the security of the Blue Pacific Continent, and to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, the United States has announced that it will provide over $11 million to bring cutting-edge maritime domain awareness technology to the Pacific through the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness to help improve the maritime picture and law enforcement information analysis and provision amongst our Pacific Island friends.We’re also delivering on our promise to invest in the prosperity of the region.  As the President has announced, we will invest an additional $40 million working with Congress to expand our Pacific Islands Infrastructure Initiative.  Through this initiative, we’re bringing technical assistance and project preparation work needed to identify commercially viable projects through partners in the U.S. Government, including the U.S. Trade and Development Agency.These are just a few of the key initiatives announced as part of our summit.  One more that I’d flag that we’re happy to go into during our question-and-answer period involves a new microfinance facility that will offer small and micro loans to Pacific Island businesses so that entrepreneurs there have the chance to thrive.  And these deliverables we are working towards illustrate the depths of our collaboration with the Pacific Islands and the promise of expanding our partnership for many years to come.As President Biden has said, the United States is and will long remain a proud Pacific nation.  And as a Pacific nation, the United States is here for the long haul and will continue to deliver on our promises to our partners in the region.I’ll hand the floor over to Dan to talk more about Secretary Blinken’s consequential engagements with the PIF leaders throughout the summit.  Dan, over to you.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Mira, thanks so much, and good evening, everyone.  I think, as my esteemed colleague Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper has outlined, this was a tremendously successful summit that I think demonstrates further the breadth and depth of America’s commitment to the Pacific.  And Mira, I thought that was really a tremendous rundown of a momentous series of events related to the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit.I thought that I would focus my remarks a bit more narrowly on some of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s significant engagements with the Pacific Island leaders here in Washington, and then also mention briefly the engagement involving the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry’s meetings during the summit as well.As Secretary Blinken put it, our engagements were designed to show that we’re seizing on the possibilities of this moment to build a more secure, resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Pacific region.As Secretary Blinken also said on Monday night, the fundamental fact is this:  Our fates are tied together.  We’ve long been committed development partners to the Pacific Islands, and we’re excited to bring new energy and resources to the Pacific, working with partners in the Pacific Islands on our shared goal of meeting Pacific priorities and supporting Pacific institutions.We saw this last week, last Friday at the UN – at the end of the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, when Secretary Blinken hosted a Partners in the Blue Pacific ministerial in New York.  And at that meeting on Friday, we aimed to highlight the tremendous work we’ve done to advance more effective and efficient cooperation and engagement with our Pacific partners, designed to strengthen Pacific regionalism and to facilitate and encourage other partners and institutions to engage and consult with the Pacific.  And of course those efforts flowed nicely into the Pacific Islands Forum Summit itself, which began, as Mira indicated, on Monday.I think a clear sign of our commitment to the Pacific region came through the establishment of diplomatic relations with both Niue and the Cook Islands.  Following an announcement from President Biden earlier on Monday, Secretary Blinken hosted Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown for two separate signing ceremonies here in the State Department Treaty Room to make these momentous occasions.  These historic announcements reaffirmed our joint commitments to deepen our cooperation as equal and sovereign partners, guided by respect, genuine engagement, and partnership.  We fully anticipate working even closer with Niue and the Cook Islands on our shared priorities, which include the climate crisis, renewable energy, Pacific regionalism, and good governance, among many others.Secretary Blinken then had the pleasure of joining the millennium compact corporation CEO Alice Albright and iKiribati President Taneti Maamau for a signing ceremony for an MCC-Kiribati threshold program grant agreement that will provide up to $29.1 million to promote safe, accessible, decent, and inclusive employment opportunities for Kiribati workers, both in Kiribati and across the region.  This will be the United States’ largest direct grant investment in Kiribati to date, and it is an agreement that we believe will deliver clear results and benefits to people in the Pacific Islands and solve real challenges to shape our future.I wanted to mention, also on Monday evening, Secretary Blinken hosted really a spectacular dinner here at the State Department in the newly renovated Benjamin Franklin Room, which was an opportunity for the Secretary and other leaders across the U.S. Government to meet with all of the Pacific Island leaders and to discuss in more detail ways that we can expand our cooperation in the future.  The Secretary was delighted to host the banquet with his co-host, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield – of course, America’s Permanent Representative to the UN – and at the dinner, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced that she will be America’s representative to the next Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit in November of this year.I think the final event of the summit, the two-day summit, for Secretary Blinken was his meeting with representatives from the Freely Associated States.  Namely, he met with Marshall Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ading, he met with Federated States of Micronesia President Simina, and with Palau President Whipps.  That was on Tuesday, late Tuesday afternoon.During the meeting, the Secretary took the opportunity to underscore the strong people-to-people ties and shared history underpinned by the Compacts of Free Association between the U.S. and these three Freely Associated States.  The Secretary commended the dignitaries for the progress in the negotiations on the compact-related agreements, which we believe signals a new era in our partnerships that will help advance a secure, free, and open Pacific.  And we look forward to further progress on these Compacts of Free Association agreements in the months to come.Finally, of course, climate change, as Mira indicated, was a major topic of discussions since it is such an existential challenge, and we recognize it, as our partners do, as the single greatest threat facing the Blue Pacific.Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry met with Pacific leaders on Monday to discuss the climate crisis and ocean resilience.  Secretary Kerry reiterated the United States’ new policy on sea-level rise and statehood that President Biden had earlier announced as well as new investments in strengthening early warning systems and sustainable development.So in the interest of time, why don’t I stop there.  I know that Mira and I will be delighted to take your questions.  Thanks.MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Thank you, Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink.  We’ll now turn it over to the question-and-answer portion of today’s briefing.  The first question will go to Ralph Jennings from the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, who sent his question in advance:  “How does the recent U.S. engagement with the South Pacific help offset China’s economic influence in the region?”ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Mira, do you want to take that one first or you want me to dive in?DR RAPP-HOOPER:  I’m happy to take that one, Dan.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Please.DR RAPP-HOOPER:  And I’ll turn to you in just a moment to add your thoughts.  Thanks for the question.  I would say just as a topline matter, when we’re working with our Pacific Island friends, we’re really not focused principally on China.  We’re focused on what the United States can offer as a likeminded partner to this group of countries.  And we are very focused on delivering positive, attractive alternatives to these countries that can help them and their people thrive.  But it’s really about what we stand for together alongside our Pacific Island partners, not about who or what we’re against.But with that in mind, I will note that, as the President announced, our $200 million in new programs for Pacific Island Forum nations do include some really consequential new programs that we believe are going to help our friends in the Pacific to generate the economic dynamism that they’re looking for to offset and combat climate change and to continue their recovery from the pandemic, where they were especially hard-hit.Just as a few examples, we’re stepping up our infrastructure efforts.  Specifically, as I mentioned, the President announced $40 million to new infrastructure projects in the Pacific Islands.  He also announced that the United States will be undertaking new submarine cable projects in the Pacific Islands to build secure, reliable connectivity amongst Pacific Island nations and to ensure that our friends there have the basic digital infrastructure that they need, like reliable, speedy internet on which so many businesses and individuals rely.  And of course, that submarine cable work builds on work we have been doing in recent years, including with the East Micronesia Cable, where we’ve already begun work to improve high-quality and more reliable secure communications for over 100,000 people in the Pacific Islands.  So infrastructure is a big part of our work.We are also delivering a new Millennium Challenge Corporation project with the Government of Kiribati, which is intended to advance economic growth in Kiribati in partnership with the International Labor Organization and American Councils of International Education to bolster and promote safe, accessible, and inclusive employment opportunities for Kiribati workers.Through the Quad, we are partnering with the Government of Palau to implement the deployment of a new ORAN network that is a next-generation, secure mobile network to help Palau get the secure connectivity that it needs.  And as we mentioned at the top of the call, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency is working throughout the Pacific Islands to identify through its technical work opportunities for more viable projects in the months and years to come.So this is just a sampling of the work that we’re doing to try to bring the economic tools we have to bear to help Pacific economies thrive, but I’ll hand it back to Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink to see what he might like to add.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Mira, that’s a brilliant answer.  I – all I could really do is foot-stomp what Mira has already said.  We approach the region from the perspective of advancing our affirmative agenda – the shared interests and values that we hold in common with our Pacific partners.That’s our focus, not any notion of focusing on a third party.  And as we often say, we have a regional strategy.  We’re focused on our affirmative agenda.  And I think if we continue to deliver benefits to our partners in the Indo-Pacific, I’m very confident and optimistic about our future together.In particular, as Dr. Rapp-Hooper has indicated, our entire approach to the Pacific is predicated on meeting our Pacific Island friends where they live.  In other words, in conversation with our Pacific partners, we have understood clearly what their needs and concerns and interests are, as outlined very clearly in the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.  And by design, our work and the work of our other partners through the Partners in the Blue Pacific is specifically designed to address the needs that they themselves have outlined in their strategy.Again, that is the focus of our efforts, not any third parties.  Thank you.MODERATOR:  Okay.  The next question is going to go to Rurika Imahashi, who submitted the question on the chat, the Q&amp;A box here on Zoom.  “Our understanding is that the Marshall Islands parliament will soon certify the compact deal with the U.S.  What is the U.S. understanding on the development of the agreement?”  So we’ll answer that part.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Mira, why don’t I take an initial stab at this one and we’ll ask you, obviously, to add anything else that you would like.DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Sounds good.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  I guess what I would say to any friends with questions about the compacts, I would just simply underscore that the compacts remain of vital importance to the United States.  I think they recognize our deep and historic ties to the three Freely Associated States.  I think they embody the strong ties between the peoples and the governments of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau.  And we remain very optimistic about the progress that we’ve made in the compact-related negotiations.I know when Secretary Blinken sat down with the leaders of the three Freely Associated States, he really commended them for the progress that we’ve made.  I think as everyone is tracking, we signed COFA-related agreements with Palau in May and with the Federated States of Micronesia in May, and we’ve made tremendous progress with our friends in the Marshall Islands.  We’re confident that we will conclude all of these agreements very soon and we will continue to build out these incredibly significant relationships that are central to everything we hope to achieve in the Pacific.And I think, as friends are tracking, that these compacts really are extraordinary agreements that are 20-year agreements in duration, and again, we’re confident that we will conclude them and implement them very soon.But, Mira, would you like to add anything to that?DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Not much that I could add, Dan, except just to foot-stomp the point that we believe we are well on our way; we’ll soon be at a successful conclusion and very much look forward to being able to mark that milestone after months of really terrific cooperation with all of the Freely Associated States.  That’s all for me.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Yeah, and maybe just one final comment.  I think Mira’s comments reminded me that I do want to recognize that obviously this work is all being done at the direction of President Biden and Secretary Blinken, but our Special Presidential Envoy for Compact Negotiations Joe Yun and his team have also done a brilliant job and I really commend them.  And as Mira indicated, we’re very close and look forward to implementing them very soon.MODERATOR:  The next question will go to Stephen Wright from Radio Free Asia’s BenarNews Service.  Stephen, I also see that your hand is up.  If you’d like to unmute and ask your question, please go ahead.  Yeah, please go ahead and unmute.QUESTION:  Yeah, thanks.  Prime Minister Sogavare didn’t attend the recent summit and subsequently he said the U.S. should show respect to Pacific Island leaders and not lecture them at summits.  What do you think that shows about the progress of U.S. and Solomon Islands relations?  And are there any plans to have an ambassador at the new but smaller embassy in the Solomon Islands?DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks very much.  This is Mira; I’m happy to take a first crack at this, and Dan, perhaps I’ll pass to you just on the embassy piece.We were disappointed that Prime Minister Sogavare was unable to attend the summit in Washington.  We did reach out, including at the very highest levels, to encourage him to join us for this terrific conversation that we’ve been laying out for you here, this opportunity to engage amongst friends, and we’re disappointed that he declined to do so.I don’t have much to say about the specific comments except to note, I think as we have been throughout this call tonight, that the conversation with the President, with the Secretary of State, with every cabinet official and member of Congress at the Pacific Island Forum leaders met with was collaborative, constructive, forward-looking, and I think most importantly involved an incredible amount of listening by U.S. Government officials to continue to refine their understanding of what our Pacific Island Forum friends are most looking for from us.So that’s the approach that we’re going to continue to take.  We continue to believe that it’s the right approach.  We feel that our three really dynamic days of programming show that we’re on the right track, and we look forward to continuing that work on the road ahead.Dan, over to you.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Thank you, Mira.  Maybe specifically on the question regarding our presence in the Solomon Islands, I’ll just note that we were excited and honored to open our new U.S. embassy in Honiara in January of this year, which was less than one year after Secretary Blinken announced our intent to do so.  Really excited about the work that our embassy colleagues there, led by Chargé Russ Comeau – excited about the work that they’re doing, again, to build our friendship and our ties with the people of the Solmon Islands and ensure that we work to deliver tangible benefits to our partners there.Of course, any new first step in opening an embassy involves staffing it, and of course our chargé d’affaires currently leading our embassy efforts there, and we recognized him for his really stellar work there.I would simply say at this point we have taken a number of steps internally to identify the U.S. ambassador, the next U.S. ambassador to the Solomon Islands, and I don’t have anything to announce to you this evening.  But I hope we’ll have something to announce in the near future, but we are certainly working towards that end.  Thank you.DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Dan, if I may just jump in really quickly to add one additional detail.  I did want to note, as Dan noted, the – our wonderful Chargé Russ Comeau in the Solmon Islands was given a really important inaugural award at the dinner so graciously hosted by Secretary Blinken during the Pacific Island Forum Summit.  That inaugural award commemorates intrepid diplomacy in the Pacific Islands, and Chargé Comeau really embodies that to a T.  He has been just absolutely indefatigable in working to build U.S.-Solomons ties.I underscore that because I do want to make clear that the purpose of an award like this is to continue to draw attention to and raise up Americans who are doing their utmost on the ground to build ties with the Pacific Islands.  And I think the fact that we’ve established this award this year, that it was given by the Secretary of State, is just yet another demonstration that we are continuing to create incentives, recognize achievements so that Americans continue to step up and deliver on our promises throughout the Pacific.MODERATOR:  Okay.  I realize that we’re running a little bit over.  We started a few minutes late, so we’ll take a couple more questions.  We have one from Daniel Hurst from The Guardian.  “To what extent is the United States concerned about the newly announced comprehensive strategic partnership between Timor-Leste and China?  Why or why not?”ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Perhaps I can take an initial crack at that one and then ask Mira to chime in.  Look, I think as we indicated earlier, our message to partners in the region is that we’re not asking countries to choose.  We’re in the business of trying to ensure that countries have the ability to make their own sovereign decisions and their own choices free from coercion.My second point would be, as indicated earlier, we’re focused on our affirmative agenda in the region, including with friends in Timor-Leste, and we’ll continue to do that.  We’ll focus on how we can further build out our friendship and partnership with counterparts in the region, including Timor-Leste, and focus on the great work that we can do together.But again, we’re not in the business of asking countries to choose, and I don’t really think it’s beneficial to try to get into some kind of a comparison game or comment on engagement of other partners with the PRC.But, Mira, what would you like to add to that?DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Nothing to add, Dan.  I’m in violent agreement.MODERATOR:  Great.  We are – let’s see.  If the speakers are okay, can we take one more question?ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Absolutely.  Please.MODERATOR:  Great.  Great.  And this one is from Mar-Vic Cagurangan from the Pacific Island Times, based in Tamuning, Guam, who sent it in advance:  “How will a federal shutdown affect the Compact of Free Association, COFA?  Will the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Marshall Islands, and Palau continue to receive funds throughout the shutdown?  Do you think this affect – this will affect the U.S. credibility with the Freely Associated States?”ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  Mira, perhaps I could provide an initial answer on this one as well and then be happy to turn to you.  Yeah, I really do appreciate the question, and I’ll just underscore what I mentioned earlier.  We’re really excited about the progress we’ve made in the compact negotiations and we’re confident that all of these agreements will be concluded soon.The issue that you raised here was discussed in some detail in the meeting between Secretary Blinken and the three leaders from the Freely Associated States, and I can assure you that we are in very close and constant communication with our friends both in the Freely Associated States and with leaders on Capitol Hill to make sure that we have a plan going forward under all circumstances that will allow us to meet our obligations under the compacts.I think, as friends may be tracking, that the draft Compact of Free Association agreements, the draft legislation on the Hill includes authority to continue programs and services at the same levels provided under current agreements until the new agreements are in place so as to avoid a lapse in services.  And we’re also working very closely with our friends so that if there were to be any kind of a lapse in appropriations that we can take the appropriate mitigating steps wherever possible to minimize any possible impacts on our friends in the Freely Associated States.But I think that I can assure you we’re in close and frequent contact with our friends in the Freely Associated States and I’m confident we have a plan to work through any contingency.Mira, what would you like to add?DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Nothing to add, Dan.  Thanks so much.MODERATOR:  Thank you.  And for our closing remarks, I’d like to turn it back to Dr. Rapp-Hooper.DR RAPP-HOOPER:  Thanks so much, folks, for joining us this evening.  I think from this conversation you’ve gotten a pretty good lay of the land of the incredibly substantive set of conversations that took place in Washington this week.  The point I want to emphasize before we let you go is that for us, this project, this promise to renew our ties, renew our commitment to the Pacific Islands, is really about much more than a three-day summit.  It’s about delivery on the promises that we’ve made in the last two years, which I think we showed in spades this week, but on delivery on those new conversations and those new commitments that have been made just this week.We have clear instructions from the President, the Secretary of State, the National Security Advisor, and many others to move out expeditiously on everything that we announced alongside our Pacific Island friends earlier this week, and we intend to literally put our money where our mouth is and deliver on everything that we seek to do together in the Pacific, whether that is providing finance so that friends in the Pacific can more quickly and readily adapt to climate change or providing micro and small loans to entrepreneurs and small businesses so that women leaders in particular can get the financing they need to allow them to contribute to increasingly dynamic Pacific economies.So we’re really just still in the opening chapter of the new Pacific story that we’re writing here under the Biden administration, but we feel like we have made tremendous progress in just the last two years, and we are emerging from this week’s summit energized and ready to hit the ground running with this new set of programs and new set of promises, and we look forward to being back in touch to share more about how this exciting work is all going.MODERATOR:  And Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink, I’ll turn it over to you for any closing remarks.ASSISTANT SECRETARY KRITENBRINK:  I can’t say it any better than that.  Beautifully summarized by Mira.  Really grateful to all of our friends in the media for joining us here tonight.  And as Mira indicated, we’re committed to now implementing all of the agreements and the objectives that we’ve set out flowing from this latest summit, and very optimistic, again, about our future ahead with friends in the Pacific.  Thanks again for joining us tonight.MODERATOR:  That brings us to the end of our time today.  Thank you for your questions and thank you to Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink and Dr. Rapp-Hooper for joining us.  We will provide a transcript of this briefing to participating journalists as soon as it is available.  We’d also love to hear your feedback, and you can contact us at any time at AsiaPacMedia@state.gov.  Thank you again for your participation and we hope you can join us for another briefing soon.
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Peace Corps Engagement Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateNakolo, TongaKatea Retreat SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Thank you all very, very much.First, can’t ask for a better setting.  (Laughter.)  Second, we just came from opening, formally inaugurating our new embassy here.  We’ve had a long relationship with Tonga, but we finally have a full-time diplomatic presence with an embassy.  But in so many ways, the Peace Corps for 55 years has been America’s best possible diplomacy when it comes to Tonga and our friends here.I’ve had an opportunity to see Peace Corps volunteers in different parts of the world, and every place I go I hear the same thing.  I hear the extraordinary bonds that you’re able to build on a person-to-person, community level in the countries where you’re serving.  I hear the lifelong relationships and partnerships that you make.  And maybe most important of all, I hear firsthand the difference that you’re making in people’s lives.For me, having grown up with the Peace Corps as really the – almost the exemplar of the best in our country, to have the opportunity now in this job to sort of see it firsthand around the world, it’s incredibly gratifying.  And so to each and every one of you who are now taking part here in Tonga in this extraordinary tradition – as you heard, 1,700 volunteers have served here over the last 55 years – I just want to say thank you.  Thank you for being the best of our country.  Thank you for connecting the United States and Tonga in truly profound ways, but not just profound ways, practical ways that really help people advance in their lives.And to our Tongan friends who are part of the Peace Corps team, the Peace Corps staff here, as we’ve heard, the work that you did when our own American volunteers had to pull out – keeping things going – we couldn’t be grateful to you.So to each and every one of you, thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank you for the bonds that you’re building.  Thank you for the work that you’re doing.  Thank you for the difference that you’re making.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the U.S. Embassy Nuku’alofa Dedication Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateNuku’alofa, TongaU.S. EmbassySECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  And hello, everyone.  It is wonderful to be with you in this place on this occasion.  Malo &#8216;aupito to the Honorable Hu’akavameiliku for your hospitality today, for the incredibly warm welcome that we’ve received here in Tonga.  And it’s an honor to be with Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, Your Royal Highness the Princess Royal, and Lord Tuita.  To the cabinet ministers, to the lord speaker, members of parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, other distinguished guests, you all honor all of us with your presence here today.  Reverend, thank you for that blessing.I am thrilled to make my first visit to Tonga and to return to the Pacific Islands for the third time in this job and the second time this year, just in the last few months.  The United States values our deep and longstanding ties with Tonga and with all our friends in the Pacific Islands.  President Biden is committed to forging a new era in our partnership with Tonga and with the Pacific Islands – one of mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit – with our countries working together to advance what is a shared vision for a region that’s free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, resilient.  Achieving that vision, making it real starts with listening.  That’s why the President launched the U.S.-Pacific Island Summit last year to hear – to hear the priorities, the perspectives, the concerns of Pacific Island leaders and their people so that together we can shape and advance a shared approach based on our common interests.  The President is eager to continue that work by hosting a second summit in Washington later this year.Today, we’re celebrating – celebrating a major step to build up our engagement in Tonga – the opening of our U.S. embassy.  Together with our new mission in the Solomon Islands and eventually missions in Kiribati and Vanuatu, this embassy will help us deliver for all of our people and build the shared future we envision.As the honorable prime minister said, it’s less than a year ago that Vice President Harris laid out the vision for having this embassy, and here we are today.  This is actually record-speed time for the United States Government.  (Laughter and applause.)  Thank you.So we’ve done this at record pace.  At last July’s Pacific Island’s Forum when the Vice President announced our intention to open the embassy here, it was with this vision of better connecting our countries.  We actually raised the flag in May for the first time over this building.  And in just a few weeks, the embassy’s first assigned U.S. diplomat will be here on the ground.We – I am deeply grateful to Ambassador Damour for all that she has done to build this relationship, but we know it’s important to have a permanent American ambassador directly assigned to, living in, Tonga.  And we’re working with urgency to make that happen.U.S. Embassy Tonga has already hit the ground running.  This team has set up partnerships with local organizations to connect girls and young women to a STEM education so that they can study and, one day, solve the challenges of today and tomorrow.  They’re helping return the Peace Corps to Tonga.  And today I’ll have the opportunity to see some of the newest volunteers continuing an incredibly rich history, a partnership of connection between Americans and Tongans.They brought the first American Fulbright exchange student to Tonga in years; sent Tongan athletes and coaches to the United States to play and build their skills; and helped American jazz musicians come teach, mentor, and perform here in Nuku’alofa.And, of course, if anyone needs evidence of the power of sports and music to connect our two countries, talk to Ta’u Pupu’a &#8212; or actually, better yet, listen.  (Applause.)  Born here in Tonga, raised in Salt Lake City, Ta’u is a former professional American football player turned global opera performer.  What an incredible story.  And we’re honored to have him and now our other wonderful singer with us today to perform our anthems.Ta’u and the thousands of Tongans and Americans who visit, who work, who live in our two countries, they remind us of the remarkably deep connections that bind us together.  That, fundamentally, is what it’s all about.  And with the U.S. Embassy Tonga open – hard at work – those connections are only going to grow stronger than ever, making the future for our partnership and for the region that we share very bright indeed.So thank you all so much for being here today.  This is an important milestone, but as I like to say, as important as these occasions are – and this one day is – the 364 days that follow will really be evidence of our commitment and of the work that we’re doing together to build better lives for all of our people.Thank you all very, very much.  (Applause.)
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku at a Joint Press Availability Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StatePRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  (In Tongan.)It is a great honor to warmly welcome to the Kingdom of Tonga the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Mr. Antony Blinken.  The visit today by Secretary Blinken is historic.  It is the first visit by a sitting U.S. secretary of state to Tonga.  It is the highest-level visit we have received from the United States Government in our recent history.  There is a clear indication to us of the desire and commitment by the United States of America to strengthen relations between our two countries.Mr. Secretary, once again, thank you for visiting Tonga.Ladies and gentlemen, Secretary Blinken and I have just concluded a rich but also very frank exchange on key areas of partnership.  Our partnership is grounded on our shared respect for democracy, the rule of law, and the rights and freedom of others.  We covered many aspects of our partnership, including the need for countries to raise commitment to tackling climate crisis.  We agreed that education is an important component.  In addition, we acknowledged a changing global landscape, the impacts of conflict, and the strategic importance of Pacific Island region.  We agreed that working together, guided by strategies such as the Pacific 2050 Strategy, would be key to ensuring that our – ours remain a region of peace, security, and prosperity.The United States and the Kingdom of Tonga enjoy a longstanding and enduring partnership.  A strength of that partnership is the people-to-people links, and we appreciate and acknowledge the important and valuable contribution from the United States Peace Corps.Last year we celebrated a milestone – 50 years of diplomatic relations with the United States – and welcomed the announcement by Vice President Kamala Harris of the United States decision to establish its first diplomatic mission here in the kingdom.  Today I congratulated the Secretary for their work undertaken together with our officials and who worked tirelessly, might I add, to ensure that the U.S. embassy was set up in record time.  In May this year, we hoisted for the very first time the flag of the United States in Nuku’alofa, at a remarkable and historic event marking the establishment of the embassy.  Secretary Blinken is in Nuku’alofa to preside over the dedication ceremony for the embassy.I told the Secretary that the establishment of the U.S. embassy and his presence here today is a testament to the fact that our partnership is growing from strength to strength.  The people of the Kingdom of Tonga and his majesty’s government are deeply grateful for the United States Government assistance towards our recovery efforts, especially for the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and the ensuing tsunami.  We’ll proceed to the dedication ceremony of the U.S. embassy, another milestone in the Tonga-U.S. relations.Our partnership enjoys a strong defense component.  Tonga has contributed significantly to international peace and security, particularly in support of the United States troops, firstly deploying soldiers to Iraq, and then, in 2010, Tonga deployed the first contingent of 55 soldiers to Afghanistan in support of the British armed forces’ efforts in the International Security Assistance Force.  But our defense relations go back even further.  World War II – Tonga hosted U.S. military forces on the main island.  We became a major transit hub for Allied shipping lanes during the war.  At one point there were more U.S. Marines in Tonga than there were Tongans.  (Laughter.)  And this is a testimony to how two countries, whether big or small, can and must work together to pursue our shared values for freedom and democracy.More importantly, it is a reminder of the enduring links Tonga and the United States share.  The Secretary and I had the opportunity to look at a range of renewed and strengthened areas for our partnership.  I asked the Secretary to expedite the visa processing facilities here in Nuku’alofa.  The high cost associated with visa applications to the United States during the process (inaudible) puts great strains on Tongan families.  We also discussed working together to mitigate problems with IUU, deportees, and also trafficking in persons, and of course cyber security.Finally, we agreed to continue high-level dialogue between our Pacific leaders and President Biden.  This will be key to ensuring our partnership and shared agenda for our region continue to be strengthened.  And I look forward to our second U.S.-Pacific summit between our Pacific leaders and President Biden in September.  This is very important given the fact that Tonga will be taking up the chairmanship of the Pacific Islands Forum for the next year.Mr. Secretary, once again, thank you for making time in your very busy schedule to visit Tonga, and I look forward to our continued efforts to achieve shared goals for the benefit of both our peoples.  (In Tongan.)SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  And now I’d like to invite the Secretary to make a statement.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much.  Good morning, everyone.  And let me first thank the Honorable Hu’akavameiliku for his hospitality.  It’s no surprise, Honorable Prime Minister, that your country is known as the “Friendly Islands.”  We’ve experienced that even in the brief time that we’ve been here already.I am very happy to return to the Pacific Islands – this is my third time in the Pacific Islands as Secretary of State – but to make my first visit to Tonga and to make my first visit to Tonga.  And indeed, as the honorable prime minister said, this is actually the first visit by a member of the U.S. cabinet to visit Tonga.  We are fellow Pacific nations with an incredibly rich history, as you’ve heard the prime minister allude to, but, as important, a shared future.President Biden is fully committed to working with Tonga, and with all Pacific Islands, to usher in a new era of even closer collaboration to deliver on the issues that matter most to our people – rooted in mutual respect and mutual trust.This partnership is vital to making real a shared vision for the region and the broader Indo-Pacific – a region that’s open, that’s free, that’s connected, that’s prosperous, that’s secure, that is resilient.When we talk about “free and open,” we mean a region where all countries are free to choose their own path and their own partners; where problems are dealt with openly; where rules are reached transparently and applied fairly; where goods, where ideas, where people can move freely and lawfully.Last year, President Biden launched the first-ever U.S.-Pacific Islands Summit, to bring the voices and perspectives of Pacific Island leaders – including the honorable prime minister – directly to the Oval Office.  And we look very much forward to continuing that work by hosting a second summit in Washington later this year.At last year’s summit, our countries issued the U.S.-Pacific Partnership Declaration, committing us to work together to address the challenges of our time and to seize the opportunities of our partnership.  As part of that commitment, we announced over $810 million to support programs in the Pacific Islands like Tonga.  That includes nearly half a billion dollars to manage the growing effects of the climate crisis – an immediate, existential challenge in the Pacific; a daily reality in Tonga.We’re strengthening our partnership on other priorities for Tonga and for the region, including on clean energy and sustainable infrastructure so that we can reach a net zero future; maritime security so that we can ensure a peaceful and stable future for the Pacific; digital transformation so that we can build open, interoperable, reliable, and secure online infrastructure and connect people better; and what we call people-centered development so that we can drive inclusive economic growth that lifts everyone.  These are all areas of focus of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.To better understand the needs of our Pacific partners and to carry out our shared efforts, we’re building up our diplomatic capacity in the region.  In May, we took a major step in that direction by opening our embassy here in Nuku’alofa, which the prime minister and I will formally dedicate today.  We also set up our embassy in the Solomon Islands.  We’re working to establish posts in Vanuatu and in Kiribati.Today, as you’ve heard the honorable prime minister say, we discussed concrete ways to carry forward this momentum.  That includes building on our work to strengthen our bilateral relationship, none more significant than opening the new embassy.  We also talked about the importance of the return of the Peace Corps to Tonga.  For over half a century, volunteers have worked alongside local communities to bolster the capacity of teachers, to conserve rainwater, to combat ocean pollution and the erosion of coral reefs, and even turn trash into construction material that can be used for sustainable building.What’s so powerful about the program, too, is that it has built lifelong bonds between Tongans and thousands of American volunteers, and later today I’ll have an opportunity to meet with the newest cohort of Peace Corps volunteers.The honorable prime minister and I also talked about how we can strengthen the engagement of other partners on shared Pacific priorities.  Another initiative last year launched by President Biden is something called Partners in the Blue Pacific, to better coordinate efforts on issues that matter most to communities across the region.  When I travel after here to New Zealand and then to Australia, I’ll discuss with my counterparts ways to advance that work, including on maritime security and on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.  We know that this is in many places devastating livelihoods, doing terrible damage to ecosystems, and together with our Partners in the Blue Pacific an area where we’re going to intensely focus our efforts.Later today, when we dedicate the new embassy, the United States and Tonga will mark a new chapter in our relationship.  I look forward to continuing to build a closer, stronger future between our countries so that we together can deliver for our people not just now but for generations to come.  Thank you very much.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  And now we’re going to open up the floor for questions.  We’re only going to take four questions, two from the Tonga press and two from the foreign press.  And with that we’ll probably alternate, one from the Tonga press and then the foreign press.  And so the first one, give it to the local press if you want to.QUESTION:  (In Tongan.)  Mr. Secretary, Mr. Prime Minister.  My question is directed at the U.S. Secretary.  How confident are you with your relationship with Tonga in light of other interests from other countries in the Pacific?  And then coming to what you just said, you are opening up or you are witnessing the opening of the embassy of the United States in Tonga.  Then after that you’re going to appoint a permanent ambassador to Tonga, resident here in Tonga.  What will be your priority after that to Tonga, politics or immigration?  Thank you.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you very much for the question.  First, with regard to the embassy, we very much look forward to having a permanently confirmed ambassador to Tonga.  That’s something we’re very actively working on now.  My expectation is we’ll have someone to nominate in very short order, and then, of course, we have to work through the United States Senate to get that person confirmed.  But you will see someone as ambassador permanently running the embassy here in Tonga.And I have to say the very fact of that embassy is both symbolic and practical – symbolic in that it attests to the importance that we attach to the relationship between the United States and Tonga; practical because in terms of doing so much of what you’ve heard the honorable prime minister and myself talk about today, that will happen through the day-in, day-out contact that we’re able to have as a result of having an embassy here.  The prime minister referenced the historic summit meeting that we had in Washington with President Biden over three days where we had leaders from Pacific Island countries come together in Washington, but as I shared with the prime minister, as important as those three days are, it’s the 362 days that follow in the year that make all the difference in terms of actually following through on the work that we’re doing together.What President Biden is intensely focused on is listening – listening to our partners, understanding what it is on a very practical level that we can do as partners to help make a difference in the lives of people in the Pacific Islands.  And that’s the agenda that we have and that’s the agenda that the embassy will carry out.We’ve talked about the imperative of combating climate change.  The United States is determined to be a strong partner in that effort.  We’ve made in the United States the biggest historic investment in combating climate change – through something we call the Inflation Reduction Act – in history, but the benefits of those investments will be felt around the world.  We’re also making sure that we’re doing our part in contributing to the necessary funds so that countries are able to help pay for adaptation and build resilience.  We talked a lot about that today and the need to do even more here in the Pacific Islands.We’re the – historically the largest emitter in the world.  We’re now the number two emitter, so we take very seriously our responsibilities both to take the steps necessary to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius but also to make sure that our partners have the resources they need, the technical expertise and the technology that they need to confront this challenge.  Through the partnership in the Blue Pacific as well, bringing in other countries, we’re engaged in initiatives that also will help deal with climate change.We talked about the challenge of illegal fishing – unreported, unregulated fishing.  As I mentioned, this is something we know is doing terrible damage to people’s livelihoods, to ecosystems.  It also is potentially a threat to security.  We’re building up abilities to deal with that, to identify it, to deal with it, to build what we call maritime domain awareness so that all countries in the Pacific have an understanding about what’s going on in the waters that surround them so that they can protect the livelihoods and protect their security.We’re looking at ways to strengthen our education partnerships.  We talked about that as well today.  We’re gratified that we have 70,000 Tongans living in the United States.  We have that powerful connectivity as well.But the most important thing is through our diplomacy that we really understand what it is that is a priority for people here throughout the Pacific Islands, and what we can do as partners in a very concrete way to help meet those needs and meet those priorities.  We had the terrible disaster with the volcanic eruption and the tsunami.  We were gratified to be able to be of assistance.  But now, as a practical matter, one of the initiatives we have is to do what we would call humanitarian warehousing, to make sure that the supplies and other things that are – that might be needed in a future emergency are readily available on hand so that a response can be immediate and doesn’t have to wait.Anyway, there are a long list of things that we’re working on together, but it’s all driven by focusing on what’s concrete, what can really make a difference in people’s lives.  I was recently in Indonesia, and there’s a proverb in Indonesia that says God has given us one mouth but two ears.  And that emphasizes the importance of really listening to each other and making sure that we understand what it is our friends need and how we can help.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  And then I’ll take the first one from the foreign press.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Vivian.QUESTION:  Thank you.  Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary.  (Inaudible), thank you for hosting us in your beautiful country.  I’ll start with you, a quick question.  The Secretary mentioned the Solomon Islands.   The Solomon Islands entered into a security pact also with China last year.  Tonga has one of three militaries here in the Pacific Island region.  And so can you talk about whether or not our country is exploring deepening its security relationship with China, whether or not a security pact similar to the one the Solomon Islands struck last year is on the table here, or whether or not you’ve chosen to align more with the U.S. and its regional allies like Australia.And for you, Mr. Secretary, two questions, if you will.  Chinese President Xi Jinping removed his hand-picked foreign minister after less than seven months on the job.  How might this impact efforts to build on the recent progress you made during your trip to Beijing last month?And secondly, Israeli protesters were met in the streets this week by water cannons after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began overhauling the country’s judicial system.  The U.S. has long praised Israel as a valued democratic partner in the region.  What do the recent events in Israel tell you about the state of Israel’s democracy?PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  I’ll start and then &#8212;SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Please.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  We recognize Solomon Islands sovereignty.  With regard to the security arrangement or agreement, we haven’t had any discussion on actually having such an agreement in place.  Our relationship is basically right now about development issues such as infrastructure development and so forth.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Vivian, with regard to China, of course it’s China’s sovereign decision to decide who their foreign minister is.  Qin Gang was ambassador to Washington.  I got to know him when he was ambassador.  I had constructive conversations with him in his role as foreign minister, and I wish him well.  But I’ve also known Wang Yi for more than a decade.  I’ve met with him repeatedly in my current capacity as Secretary of State and including, as you know, just recently in Jakarta, and I anticipate being able to work well with him, as we have in the past.  We’ll continue to engage him.  We’ll continue to engage other Chinese officials.As we’ve said, it is important for us to manage this relationship responsibly.  That starts with diplomacy.  That starts with engaging.  And I will work with whoever the relevant Chinese counterpart is.And I’m sorry, on Israel.  Look, I think what we’re seeing is an extraordinarily vibrant democracy, and we’re seeing that on a daily basis.  We’re seeing people make known their views.  As a great friend of Israel’s we’ve made known our own views, and as President Biden has said, when it comes to something as significant as the reforms that they’re engaging in, it would be preferable to do it in a way that builds consensus, that brings as many people along as possible.  That’s the way to have something that’s genuinely sustainable.  But I think what we’re seeing in Israel now remains a reflection of its very strong, very vibrant democracy.QUESTION:  Greetings, Mr. Secretary.  My question is on the current geopolitical climate in the Pacific.  It’s a given fact that the U.S. is very much more present now in the Pacific, the Pacific Partnership Strategy, the newly established U.S. embassy in Tonga, the official visits.  My question is:  Why now?  Some are thinking or even saying that it’s more of a U.S. agenda and less what Tonga wants from the U.S.  What is your response to that kind of statement?  Thank you.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  The simple reality is this:  We’re a Pacific nation.  It’s something that President Biden feels very strongly and has been very consistent in his own approach even before he was president, and we very much see the future in the Indo-Pacific region writ large.  So this is a place where we’re going to be present, we’re going to be engaged, because we have not only a long-shared history, but more important in a sense now for all of us is we see a shared future.  And this is not about any other country.  It is about the partnerships that we believe it’s in our interests to build with countries throughout the Pacific.We’ve had, as I think you’ve seen, sustained engagement throughout this administration.  I mentioned this is my third trip to the Pacific Islands in this job.  We’ve opened new embassies now in the Solomon Islands and Tonga.  We’re looking as well at Vanuatu and Kiribati.  We’ve developed initiatives both on a bilateral basis with our friends in Tonga but also through the Pacific Islands Forum, through the Partners of the Blue Pacific.  And as I was saying earlier, our intense focus is on how can we be the best and strongest partners in terms of being responsive to the needs of people throughout the Pacific islands.  That’s why we’ve been spending so much time.  It’s why we’re increasing our diplomatic presence so that we can really on a day-in, day-out basis hear and listen to the needs and challenges, and that’s then reflected in the work that we’re actually doing.  And what I hear from countries in the region – and I think my colleagues hear from countries in the region as they’re traveling – is that people would like partnerships with the United States.  And simply put, we’re trying to answer that call.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  If I could just add to what the Secretary mentioned, the fact that, I mean, Tonga, we have been asking the United States to actually have a presence here for a very long time.  And last year was the 50th year of our diplomatic ties between the United States and Tonga.  And Vice President Kamala Harris actually announced the setting up of the embassy.  And we had an opportunity to – actually had a meeting in Papua New Guinea a couple months back and it kind of developed from there whereby we would like to actually have a high-level visit from the United States so we can have some discussion on the bilateral arrangement, not just the dedication of the embassy but an opportunity to have a discussion on the issues that the Secretary mentioned and I alluded to and I think that actually help in strengthening our relation.  We’re having a better understanding of the expectation between our two countries.I think one from &#8212;SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post.QUESTION:  Hi.  Thanks.  Michael Birnbaum from the Washington Post.  Mr. Prime Minister, you mentioned just now your shared commitment to freedom and democracy shared with the United States.  The outgoing president of Micronesia said in March that China had been engaging in political warfare in his country on a range of issues.  Looking at your debt situation among other issues, I was wondering if you feel China is doing the same thing in your country.  And how worried are you – separately, how worried are you about conflict between the United States and China in your region?And for you, Mr. Secretary, to get into this building today, you had to walk under a sign that said China aid.  This building was built with a grant from the Chinese Government.  We’ve seen signs of Chinese presence all across this island, this country.  Is the United States late to the game here?  And should Tongan citizens expect the U.S. Government to be able to match China’s presence?Separately – sorry, one last question – we’ve seen the news that Trevor Reed has been injured fighting in Ukraine.  Can you tell us more about his details, his situation, the extent to which the U.S. Government is involved in his care right now?  And are you concerned that this is going to jeopardize your efforts to gain the freedom of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan?  Thank you.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  I’ll start off.  With regards to our debt to China, we have started officially to actually start paying off our debt to China.  We don’t have any problems or concerns with regards to that.  I’ll pass over to the Secretary the rest of your questions.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Michael, on the first part of the question, we have no objection to the investments by or engagements by any other country, including China.  On the contrary, if it’s done in a productive way, if it really is responsive to the needs of people, if it helps generate a race to the top with others who want to help out, that’s a good thing.  I think the concerns that we’ve had really go to a few things that I think we’ve seen across the board in some of the investments and the imperative of making sure that they’re done transparently, according to the rule of law, with sustainable financing – alluded to the debt situation of some countries – and with respect for the autonomy of aid recipients so that there aren’t political strings attached to any investments that they make.And again, what I think one of the things that we’ve seen is that as China’s engagement in the region has grown, there has been some, from our perspective, increasingly problematic behavior, including at the same time the assertion of unlawful maritime claims – something that I’ve raised extensively when I was in China – the militarization of disputed features – for example, in the South China Seas, some predatory economic activities, and also investments that are done in a way that can actually undermine good governance and promote corruption.So it’s not the fact of; it’s the nature of that we think is important to focus on.  But countries make their sovereign decisions about with whom they want to do business or seek investment or assistance.  We respect those sovereign decisions.  But again, we’re concerned about some of the implications in the way that some of this investment is done.  And I would hope that whether it’s China or anyone else that we all do this according to the highest standards, and as I said, we have a race to the top, not a race to the bottom.With regard to Trevor Reed, yes, so I’ve seen the reports that he was injured in Ukraine.  I don’t have any more information on his condition or status.  But as a general proposition, it underscores why we continue to call on Americans not to travel to Ukraine and not to fight there.In terms of what the implications are for our efforts to bring home Evan Gershkovich or Paul Whelan, it shouldn’t have any effect.  As I’ve noted before, even with countries where we have profound differences – and almost by definition the countries that are arbitrarily detaining or unlawfully detaining Americans are usually countries with which we have profound differences – we’ve managed to find ways to bring Americans home.  Since the start of this administration, we’ve brought home 29 Americans who have been arbitrarily detained in close to 10 or so countries.  And again, these are countries with which typically we’ve had difficult relations.  So my expectation is that even as we’re dealing with all sorts of other challenges in our relationship with Russia, we will and we are determined to continue to work to bring both Evan and Paul home.Thank you.PRIME MINISTER HU’AKAVAMEILIKU:  Thank you, Mr. Secretary.  Thank you, press.  I look forward to seeing you at the embassy.  Malo &#8216;aupito.SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Thank you.
- Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Tongan Prime Minister Hu‘akavameiliku and Foreign Minister Utoikamanu Office of the SpokespersonThe below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:Secretary of State Blinken met today with Prime Minister Hu‘akavameiliku and Foreign Minister Fekitamoeloa Utoikamanu of Tonga.The two sides had substantive and constructive discussions on key priorities in the bilateral relationship and on a range of global and regional issues. Secretary Blinken outlined how the United States is following through on commitments made by President Biden at last year’s historic Summit with Pacific Islands leaders to elevate our diplomatic and development presence and engagement in the region and that President Biden looks forward to hosting Pacific Islands Forum leaders again in Washington this fall. Secretary Blinken highlighted recent bilateral advancements between the United States and Tonga, including the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Nuku‘alofa, and the returning of Peace Corps volunteers to Tonga following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.The Secretary also highlighted the United States’ efforts to tackle the climate crisis in the Pacific, including expanding early warning systems and climate information services.
- The United States-Tonga Relationship Office of the SpokespersonU.S.-Tonga RelationsThe partnership between the United States and Tonga is broad and deep, based on shared values and close cooperation on matters ranging from combating the climate crisis to improving maritime security and fostering cooperation and development in the region.  The Kingdom of Tonga was a protected state of the United Kingdom until 1970. It is the South Pacific’s last Polynesian kingdom, a constitutional hereditary monarchy.  The United States commended Tonga for its move toward fuller democracy through the 2010 election of its first popular majority parliament and subsequent elections in 2014, 2017, and 2021, which international observers deemed free and fair, as well as its ongoing development of an active and vibrant civil society.Tonga has contributed significantly to international peace and security. From 2004 to 2008, Tonga deployed four contingents of soldiers to Iraq for durations of six months.  In 2010, Tonga deployed the first contingent of 55 soldiers to Afghanistan in support of the British Armed Forces’ efforts in the International Security Assistance Force.  Tonga deployed 330 soldiers to support U.K. forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2014.  U.S. and Tongan military forces hold annual joint training exercises, and the Nevada National Guard entered into a State Partnership Program with Tonga in 2014.Our shared history with Tonga also includes the Tongan American community, which numbers almost 70,000.  Tongan Americans have made an impact in many facets of U.S. culture, particularly through American football, where many athletes have made their mark.  Some have even been profiled in the film “In Football We Trust,” which brings a spotlight to the Polynesian community in the state of Utah.U.S. Assistance to TongaOver 1,700 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Tonga since 1967. Averaging 50 Peace Corps Volunteers for approximately 100,000 Tongans, Peace Corps Tonga has one of the highest per capita programs in the world. Peace Corp volunteers recently returned to Tonga following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.The United States is the largest single financial contributor to the COVAX Facility, from which Tonga has received approximately 48,000 COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine doses.  In January 2022, USAID provided $2.6 million in humanitarian assistance to support people affected by volcanic eruptions and tsunami waves in Tonga.  Prior to this, in May 2020, USAID provided $1 million to Act for Peace to fund protection and disaster risk reduction activities to include coordination with local organizations to conduct disaster simulation exercises and awareness on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Tonga benefits from USAID’s COVID–19 support on infection, prevention and control; risk communication; surveillance; and lab support provided through grants to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).Tonga also benefits from USAID regional programs to respond to disasters and build community resilience to adapt to climate change.  The Climate Ready project (2016-2021) and Institutional Strengthening in Pacific Island Countries (PIC) to Adapt to Climate Change program (2015-2021) supports resilience building opportunities and are instrumental in supporting climate adaptation planning.  Tonga joined the Global Methane Pledge, and virtual Embassy Science Fellows (ESF) from the U.S. Departments of Energy and Interior are helping to develop a climate-resilient clean energy infrastructure plan for Tonga.  The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) signed an agreement with Tonga in April to conduct a feasibility study for solar energy infrastructure expansion.The United States is a major financial contributor to international and regional organizations that assist Tonga, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, UN Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, and UN Fund for Population Activities.  Tonga receives Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to equip its military and participates in the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, which sends Tongan officers and senior enlisted personnel to professional military education and leadership development courses in the United States.  The Nevada National Guard has a State Partnership Program with Tonga, with whom it regularly conducts joint training.  The United States also has a ship-rider agreement with Tonga to provide security and support ship-rider missions which allow Tongan law enforcement officials to ride aboard U.S. Coast Guard vessels.  The United States also contributes U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy air assets to regional Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) operations that help combat IUU fishing in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and supports the long-term sustainability of the fisheries resources. Additionally, Tonga is a regular participant in U.S. Pacific Command sponsored workshops on topics including humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, maritime security, peacekeeping, and international humanitarian law.Bilateral Economic RelationsTonga’s economy is characterized by a large non-monetary sector and a heavy dependence on remittances from the more than half of the country’s population that lives abroad, chiefly in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, particularly in Utah, California, and Hawaii.  The United States has a trade surplus with Tonga, with two-way goods trade of approximately $17 million in 2020.  Exports from Tonga are led by frozen fish and seafood and cultural handicrafts for the Tongan diaspora. Tonga is a party to the U.S.-Pacific Islands Multilateral South Pacific Tuna Treaty, which provides fisheries access for U.S. fishing vessels in exchange for a license fee paid by U.S. industry.  Under a separate Economic Assistance Agreement associated with the Treaty, the United States government provides $21 million per year to the Pacific Island parties.Tonga’s Membership in International OrganizationsTonga and the United States belong to many of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, the Pacific Community, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme.  Tonga is also a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, of which the United States is a Dialogue Partner.The United States held its first ever U.S.-Pacific Islands Summit in Washington, D.C. in September 2022, at which the Kingdom of Tonga was represented, to broaden and deepen cooperation on key issues such as climate change, pandemic response, economic recovery, maritime security, environmental protection, and advancing a free and open Pacific region.   Participants in the U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit issued the Declaration on the U.S.-Pacific Partnership, a forward-looking vision statement reflecting our shared commitment to expand and deepen our cooperation in the years ahead.Public DiplomacyThe embassy maintains an American Corner in Tonga, which serves as a public platform for local engagement.  Recently, the Public Affairs Section conducted several educational and professional exchange programs in Tonga, including the Fulbright program and Young Pacific Leaders.  The Embassy also partnered with local organizations on small grant projects to tackle the climate crisis, promote disaster resilience and inclusive economic prosperity, and promote study of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).  Through two different Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) grants totaling over $100,000, the United States helped preserve the 12th Century Royal Tombs.Bilateral RepresentationThe United States opened an Embassy to the Kingdom of Tonga in Nuku‘alofa on May 9, 2023, less than one year after Vice President Harris announced at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum that the United States would begin discussions with Tonga regarding its interest in establishing an embassy there.Establishing an embassy will pave the way for the United States to enhance its diplomatic engagement with Tonga, including through the potential appointment of a resident Ambassador to Tonga.Principal embassy officials are listed in the Department’s Key Officers List.Tonga has no embassy in Washington, D.C. but has a permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, who is also accredited as ambassador to the United States. Tonga maintains a Consulate-General in San Francisco, California.More information about Tonga is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:CIA World Factbook Tonga Page U.S. EmbassyU.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics Travel Information