Powerplay in the Pacific intensifies as US and allies urgently try to freeze out China

In 2012, Hilary Clinton smiled at Pacific leaders gathered in Rarotonga’s cavernous National Auditorium and delivered a rehearsed and soothing line. The US Secretary of State told the assembly all nations, including the United States and China, had an “important stake” in the region’s prosperity and security. She stressed the importance of Beijing being “transparent” in the Pacific, but her overall message was about boosting cooperation to help island nations prosper. “I think, after all, the Pacific is big enough for all of us,” she told leaders with a smile. More than a decade later, that well-meaning bromide looks optimistic….