In this episode, Alec Dionne and Maggie Sparling lay out a diplomatic framework that centers human security to win the Pacific Island countries’ long-term trust, support U.S. strategic goals, uplift its allies, and improve health outcomes. The United States’ fraught history with the Pacific Island countries has left the door open for increasing influence from China. As Beijing uses aggressive economic tactics to achieve its ends, Washington should rethink its traditional approach to the region.