The leaders of three strategic Pacific island countries will visit the U.S. next week to cultivate long-held alliances amid efforts by Washington to counter expanding Chinese influence in the region, the White House said.
The presidents of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands are expected to meet with President Trump at the White House, said Alex Gray, director for Oceania & Indo-Pacific Security at the National Security Council. Officials said the meeting is scheduled for May 21.
Along with visiting the White House, the three leaders are slated to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.
