 We know that it's hard to stay up-to-date on USIP's latest publications, so we've challenged our teams to summarize their latest research in less than a minute. This is Briefly. The United States is rapidly expanding its engagement in the Pacific Islands region. While nearly 20 countries and territories comprise this vast region, the United States has uniquely close ties with three countries, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau. Collectively, they're called the freely associated states, or the FASS. However, China's engagement in the Pacific Islands, including in these countries, is threatening US interests. To consider how Washington should respond to these developments, the US Institute of Peace convened a group of experts. They recommend that US officials, one, elevate US engagement with the freely associated states and other Pacific Island nations to better reflect the region's heightened importance. Two, coordinate with the FASS governments to push back against China's efforts to enhance its influence in the Pacific Islands region. Three, help the FASS build rule of law and resilience to defend against Chinese elite capture. And four, use all available tools to ensure fiscal stability and accountability while promoting economic development in the FASS. You can read the full report on our website, usip.org.