US funding delays hurt the Pacific – but there are bigger worries | Terence Wesley-Smith and Gerard Finin

Pacific leaders are increasingly concerned that Washington's actions in the region conflict with their objectives

A delay by the US in providing crucial funding to Pacific Island nations is fuelling concern in the region - but questions about the competing visions held by the US and regional leaders are even more pressing.

The funding is part of longstanding agreements the US has with three nations in the north Pacific, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands and Palau. The agreements, known as the Compacts of Free Association (Cofa), provide a range of assistance to these nations, including visa-free entry to the US, grant assistance, trust fund contributions, and support for government services including the US postal service. In exchange, the US gets exclusive military access to large parts of the north Pacific.

Terence Wesley-Smith is Professor Emeritus in the Center for Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa and former director of the Center

Gerard Finin is former director of the Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center, and is now affiliated with the Georgetown University's Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies