The Latest Breaking News from Joseph Yun

The United States and Palau agreed on Wednesday to renew a key strategic pact, part of U.S. efforts to shore up support among Pacific island states to counter competition from China, even as President Joe Biden called off a historic stop in the region.

Renewing the agreements has become a key part of US efforts to push back against China's bid to expand its influence in the Pacific.

The United States and the Marshall Islands agreed to try to reach a deal on U.S. economic assistance by late 2022, according to a statement seen by Reuters on Friday, a sign of momentum in talks as Washington worries about China's expanding Pacific influence.

President Joe Biden's special envoy for talks with three tiny but strategically important Pacific island nations will lead a delegation to the Marshall Islands next week amid growing U.S. worries about China's efforts to expand its influence in the region.

The United States on Tuesday named former senior diplomat Joseph Yun to lead languishing talks with three tiny but strategically important Pacific Island countries, a signal that countering China remains a U.S. priority despite Russia's war in Ukraine.