Pacific Elders Say US-China Military Tensions Secondary to Rising Seasby Brett Wilkins

' The Pacific Elders Voice Group—whose members include the former leaders of the Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati, and Tuvalu; a Fijian ex-minister; and a former congressional delegate from Guam—issued a statement saying it "reiterates that the primary security threat to the Pacific is climate change! The security and future of the Pacific must be determined primarily by Pacific Island countries and not by external powers competing over strategic interests within our region. We call on all nations to respect the sovereignty of all Pacific Island countries and the right of Pacific peoples to develop and implement their own security strategies without undue coercion from outsiders."