Clinton visit raises concerns

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's expected visit this week to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific has raised geo- political concerns over competition among major powers in the region.

Clinton's presence as the most senior US official to attend the Pacific Islands Forum indicates the United States plans to re-engage with the South Pacific, analysts said.

"Attending the forum is part of the US pivot to the Asia-Pacific region," said Da Wei, an expert on US studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

It's also a show of US "soft power" and the Obama administration's increased attention to multilateral organizations, Da said.

Clinton will also pay a two-day visit to China on Sept 4 and 5, during which the two sides will exchange views on Sino-US relations and other issues of common concerns, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The two countries' engagement on the Diaoyu Islands, South China Sea and Clinton's recent visits to Asia, Africa and the South Pacific - which have been viewed as encircling China - will likely be high on the agenda, analysts said.

The US State Department is yet to formally confirm Clinton's visit to the Cook Islands, but local media described her visit as the biggest since Queen Elizabeth II came to the country in 1974.

The challenges of climate change and protecting one of the world's last pristine ocean environments are set to dominate the agenda of the Pacific Islands Forum, but on the sidelines of the summit officials are abuzz about Clinton's visit, according to AFP.

The 16-nation forum is largely made up of small island states, along with resource-rich Papua New Guinea and regional powers Australia and New Zealand.

Fiji's suspension from the forum and whether to allow the former member back into the group are expected to be discussed. Fiji was suspended in 2009 after the 2006 military coup, according to Xinhua.

Media reports quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the United States expects the forum to readmit Fiji, and has urged Australia and New Zealand to end their isolation of the country, suggesting they are giving too much room for Chinese moves in the region, according to Xinhua.

About the broadcaster:

CJ Henderson is a foreign expert for China Daily's online culture department. CJ is a graduate of the University of Sydney where she completed a Bachelors degree in Media and Communications, Government and International Relations, and American Studies. CJ has four years of experience working across media platforms, including work for 21st Century Newspapers in Beijing, and a variety of media in Australia and the US.