March 21
6:00 PM
Many of the Pacific Islanders have felt forgotten - until China came calling to establish ports. Dr. Peake will address the legacy of history and current challenges for US and other military and trade partners. This event will take place in the Bradley Student Center Ballroom at 7pm, dinner buffet at 6pm.
This part of the world may, justifiably, feel as though the world has let them drift away with the tides. But with competition for influence heating up between China and the United States in the South Pacific, these island nations are kicking their way back to the surface of policy priorities. Several of the island nations rose to significance during World War II as allied forces used them as bases to battle the Japanese. After the war, weapons testing has left another kind of legacy. Mostly the region has been overlooked – until China began to discuss the possibility of a military base in the region. Now, strategic considerations, trade routes, and the value of a terrific vacation in paradise have brought the Pacific nations back to center stage
