Indo‐Pacific Diplomacy: A View from the Pacific Islands

Pacific diplomacy has entered a new chapter in the twenty‐first century; it should chart a strategic course among diverse geopolitical agendas, new and multiple actors, including beyond the traditional nation state, and evolving regional identity politics. Often on the receiving end of “soft diplomacy” from the established and rising powers of the Indo‐Pacific seeking to exert influence, the Pacific Island nations face real consequences of transnational challenges such as climate change and marine resource depletion, and are crafting their own pragmatic diplomacy. The emerging Pacific approach suggests that aspects of network diplomacy—leveraging bilateral, multilateral, and multi‐actor relations to forge issues‐based coalitions around a common goal—will increasingly become a necessary feature of Pacific states seeking to navigate shifting geopolitics, and situate themselves within an emerging Indo‐Pacific region.