![Despite Biden’s Absence, US Makes Inroads With Pacific Islands Despite Biden’s Absence, US Makes Inroads With Pacific Islands](https://thediplomat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/sizes/thumbnail/thediplomat_2023-05-22-173003.jpg)
Despite Biden’s Absence, US Makes Inroads With Pacific Islands
By Nick Perry and Shannon Tiezzi
President Biden had to cancel his trip to the Pacific Island country, so Secretary of State Blinken oversaw the signing of new deals with Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, and Palau.