It has been more than 70 years since the South Pacific has enjoyed as much attention as it does today. China's rapprochement with the small island nations has set off alarm bells in Washington and Canberra, which are trying to make amends for past mistakes in the region and re-establish themselves as preferred partners.
The South Pacific, a region that has proved crucial during the world's wars, is of strategic importance for relations between the United States and Australia and for access to the South China Sea. That is why, with its offers and investments, China has opened a new front of power dispute in this region which, if it manages to dominate it, would deal a hard blow to the United States.
Is China's presence in the South Pacific really unstoppable? Is it really as idyllic as some analysts are painting it? Will Australia and the United States be able to regain the trust that these island nations once placed in them? Why is this region so important? Today we tell you.
