A Trump-aligned American think tank has proposed a formal “Pacific Charter” to deepen U.S. political, economic and security engagement with Pacific Island nations, framing the move as a response to what it calls growing outside pressure—chiefly from China—on the region. The Heritage Foundation’s new report, titled “A charter of Pacific values for a prosperous Pacific future,” lays out concrete institutional steps the United States should take to coordinate policy and counter foreign influence.
Co-authored by Allen Zhang and Brent Sadler, the Heritage paper argues Pacific countries are “uniquely vulnerable” and at risk of having their agendas shaped by external actors offering lucrative but strategically compromising deals. To counter that, the report proposes a non-binding charter of shared principles and the creation of a U.S.-led Pacific Partners Commission to marshal diplomatic and economic engagement. It also recommends appointing a dedicated “Pacific Advisor” on the White House National Security Council to ensure the region has sustained, high-level attention.
The think tank’s proposal is explicit about its strategic motive: to pressure regional governments to resist bilateral infrastructure and finance arrangements that it says have left some Pacific states open to undue influence. “Broader intra-Pacific affiliations are being superseded by the interests of external actors,” the report states, urging island nations to “align” policy agendas around shared standards of conduct so strategic decisions are made against established principles rather than one-off incentives.
The Heritage Foundation’s recommendations arrive as Washington has stepped up visible outreach to the Pacific. The White House hosted a business summit in Honolulu in early February, part of broader U.S. efforts to emphasize trade, investment and security ties in the region. The report’s release follows public comments by senior U.S. officials and by President Donald Trump himself about the strategic value of Pacific resources—most notably critical minerals on the seabed.
Trump has signalled interest in the mineral riches believed to lie on the deep ocean floor, prompting talks with Pacific governments including the Cook Islands and Tonga about the prospects for deep-sea mining. Jared Novelly, the incoming U.S. ambassador to New Zealand, described the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone as an “extreme opportunity,” comments cited in the Heritage report and other briefings that underline Washington’s economic as well as security objectives in the Pacific.
Analysts say the Heritage proposal could feed into an escalating competition for influence in the Pacific. Canberra and Wellington have in recent months been urged by regional and foreign-policy experts to pursue stronger intelligence and security partnerships with island states to counter rising transnational threats and great-power rivalry. The Heritage Charter, backed by an organisation closely associated with President Trump and his Project 2025 policy agenda, signals that influential voices in Washington are pressing for institutionalised, higher-profile U.S. involvement.
How Pacific governments themselves respond remains to be seen. The Heritage document frames the charter as non-binding and designed to “reaffirm fundamental ideals and strengthen regional solidarity,” but calls for a closer alignment with U.S. defence and economic interests could heighten debate in the region about sovereignty, development choices, and the balance between engagement with Western partners and relations with China.
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