European statecraft in the Pacific Islands

This chapter analyses the European Union, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom statecraft in the Pacific Islands region. Like other partners, Europe has gained a sudden interest in the ‘Indo-Pacific’ as part of the emerging geostrategic competition between the United States and China – – portraying Europe as a ‘mediator’ to prevent conflict. European countries have historically had colonial relationships with many Pacific Island states, but in the last few decades, their statecraft has waned to the point of invisibility. Until very recently, only France was actively deploying statecraft within and through its territories, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna. But with geopolitical competition, Europe has begun deploying tools of statecraft in the region again: through visits and the establishment of Special Envoys. This chapter analyses the intention and effectiveness of such statecraft, and the potential implications for the Pacific Islands region.