American Foreign Policy Council Senior Fellow in National Security  Affairs Alexander B. Gray discusses the strategic significance of the Pacific Islands.   

Related publications:    

Why a crisis in the Pacific islands matters for Washington and Beijing  (February 16, 2021, The Hill) https://thehill.com/opinion/international/538968-why-a-crisis-in-the-pacific-islands-matters-for-washington-and-beijing   

Trouble in Paradise: Why a Pacific Islands Squabble Matters for Washington (February 8, 2021, The National Interest) https://www.afpc.org/publications/articles/trouble-in-paradise-why-a-pacific-islands-squabble-matters-for-washington