Events | Renewing America’s Compacts in the Pacific: A Conversation with Ambassador Joseph Y. Yun

<p>For nearly forty years, the United States has enjoyed exclusive security agreements with three Pacific Island nations, collectively known as the Freely Associated States. These agreements must be renewed this year—and the clock is ticking before two of the three agreements expire this September. With China increasing its malign influence operations and infringing on Pacific nations’ sovereignty, Congress must not let this once-every-two-decades opportunity slip away by passing and funding the Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreements.</p><br><p>Hear from the lead U.S. negotiator himself, Ambassador Joseph Y. Yun, as he sits down with Heritage’s Jeff M. Smith to discuss the importance of the COFA agreements and countering Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands.</p><br><p>For nearly forty years, the United States has enjoyed exclusive security agreements with three Pacific Island nations, collectively known as the Freely Associated States. These agreements must be renewed this year—and the clock is ticking before two of the three agreements expire this September. With China increasing its malign influence operations and infringing on Pacific nations’ sovereignty, Congress must not let this once-every-two-decades opportunity slip away by passing and funding the Compact of Free Association (COFA) agreements.</p><br><p>Listen to other Heritage podcasts: <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heritage.org%2Fpodcasts&amp;data=05%7C01%7CVirginia.Allen%40heritage.org%7Cfa1a35b8180149a4e6ac08dac280169f%7Ccbd93b4867ea46759ee84178b273204a%7C0%7C0%7C638036152639642700%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2Bntbzpf%2FJWlf7%2F6qz%2FE7PUzEfQLM83hawqJzStdwotM%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.heritage.org/podcasts</a></p><p>Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.prot