Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend US-Pacific Islands summit as Biden cancels his PNG trip
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
The White House announced on Thursday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be attending the US-Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on behalf of President Biden. The highly anticipated visit of President Joe Biden to Papua New Guinea was cancelled earlier this week due to the ongoing debt crisis in the United States.
President Biden, who was en route to the G7 summit in Japan, took the opportunity to call Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape from Air Force One. During the call, Biden explained the need for his sudden return to the United States to participate in negotiations with Republican opponents, with the aim of averting a potential default.
Biden regrets his absence at the Pacific summit
In a statement issued by the White House, it was highlighted that President Biden emphasised the United States' commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Pacific Islands. He conveyed his regret for being unable to personally attend the US-Pacific Islands Forum meeting and assured Prime Minister Marape that Secretary Blinken would represent him.
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The planned visit to Papua New Guinea on Monday would have marked the first time a sitting US president visited the Pacific island nation. The Biden administration has been striving to reinvigorate US leadership in the Pacific region amidst growing influence from China. However, the president's trip to the Asia-Pacific region has been disrupted due to the ongoing negotiations with Republicans on raising the national debt limit.
Quad summit in Australia also cancelled
In addition to cancelling the visit to Papua New Guinea, President Biden also had to axe a scheduled meeting with the leaders of the Quad regional grouping, consisting of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, during his visit to Australia.
Also Read |US President Biden holds talks with Japan’s Kishida ahead of G7 summit in Hiroshima
Despite the setbacks, the White House has expressed its commitment to further engagement with Pacific leaders. President Biden extended an invitation to Prime Minister Marape and other Pacific leaders to visit Washington, D.C. later this year for the second US summit with the Pacific Islands Forum.
The debt crisis in the US
Although the US economy has grown over the past years, the total national debt has also soared from $9.49 trillion in June 2008 to over $31.4 trillion now. The ratio of the entire US government's debt to its GDP in June 2008 was 63.85 per cent. The percentage has now crossed the 120 per cent mark.
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