Washington [US], May 12 (ANI): The US opened an embassy in the Pacific island nation of Tonga, the latest move to broaden its presence in the region to counter China as it is increasing its influence in recent years, CNN reported.

"We are pleased to announce the United States officially opened the US Embassy in Nuku'alofa on May 9, 2023, less than one year after Vice President Harris announced at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum that we would begin discussions with Tonga regarding establishing an embassy," US State Department said in the statement.

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"This opening symbolizes the renewal of our relationship and underlines the strength of our commitment to our bilateral relations, to the people of Tonga, and to our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region," the statement added.

According to CNN, the announcement came the same day the White House confirmed President Joe Biden will travel to Papua New Guinea during a trip to the Indo-Pacific region later this month, marking the first visit of a sitting US President to the Pacific country.

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US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller described the Tonga embassy opening as symbolizing "the renewal of our relationship and underlines the strength of our commitment to our bilateral relations, to the people of Tonga, and to our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region."

Tonga is a nation of 171 islands in the South Pacific about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand, according to the CIA's World Fact Book.

The embassy in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa is the second that Washington has opened in the Pacific islands this year, following the reopening of one in the Solomon Islands in February, CNN reported.

The country is considered upper-income for Pacific Island nations, but much of its wealth comes from remittances from the overseas diaspora, according to the CIA, which also notes it is seeing "rapidly growing Chinese infrastructure investments."

That is the kind of influence from Beijing the Biden administration is trying to offset by opening the embassy in Nuku'alofa and in the other Pacific island nations, reported CNN. (ANI)

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