Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Pacific Forum
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Pacific Forum, commented to Voice of American Chinese that Congress’ failure to renew funding of the Compacts of Free Association (COFAs) with the Pacific Islands of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau jeopardizes US influence and sea control in the Pacific. China is enticing Palau, whose economy heavily depends on tourism, to switch diplomatic relations from Taiwan by promising to fill every hotel room in Palau. Larus indicated that, located between Hawaii and Guam, COFA members states are the U.S.’s first line of control in the Central Pacific. China is using economic leverage to persuade the COFA states to realign with China and to abstain in a potential U.S. conflict with China over Taiwan.
https://www.voachinese.com/a/how-can-cofa-help-us-deter-ccp-in-a-indopacific-conflict/7496027.html