Power and Influence in the Pacific Islands

This timely collection offers a crucial analytical framework for understanding how major powers exercise statecraft across the Pacific Islands, a region of escalating strategic competition. With contributions from scholars based in the United States, Australia, China, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands themselves, the book provides a genuinely multilateral perspective on the mechanics of power and influence. It moves beyond simplistic narratives to dissect the complex interplay of diplomacy, aid, and soft power shaping the geopolitical landscape.

What makes this volume particularly compelling is its commitment to presenting 'both sides of the story,' allowing readers to grasp how these international dynamics are perceived and navigated by Pacific Island nations themselves. The diverse authorship ensures the analysis avoids Western-centric assumptions, making it essential reading for anyone studying international relations, foreign policy, or regional security. This is the kind of nuanced examination that cuts through geopolitical rhetoric to reveal how influence is actually won and lost in one of the world's most contested regions.