US pledges to boost aid and diplomacy in Pacific as historic summit begins

Antony Blinken opens landmark meeting a day after leaked documents showed discord among some Pacific leaders over US proposals Joe Biden's administration has welcomed Pacific Island leaders for a landmark summit in Washington with promises of greater aid and diplomatic presence, as it attempts to counter China's rising influence in a region historically linked to the US. In a first-of-a-kind summit in Washington, leaders from across the remote but strategic islands will meet Biden and the rest o...