As leaders from across the Pacific, and special envoys from the U.S. and China, descended on the Cook Islands in November for the region¡¯s largest annual forum, they couldn¡¯t have failed to notice the main island¡¯s sports arena, or the capital city¡¯s police station, or its Department of Justice.
All these buildings have one thing in common: they were built by Chinese state-owned companies.
Now, as the U.S. tries to push back against Chinese influence in the Pacific, it¡¯s faced with the painful reality that Beijing seems to have made massive inroads in a region where it had long-standing and deep ties, helped by years of sustained presence and commitment to the region¡¯s nations.
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