In the Cold War with China, the United States cannot afford to ignore Pacific island nations.

The United States is effectively engaged in a second Cold War, this time against China and its ruling Communist Party. As we did in the First Cold War against the Soviet Union, we must engage proportionately and work with our allies to provide the common defense.

After World War II, this meant working closely with even the smallest countries in Western Europe. Today, we also need closer engagement with our smallest allies in the Pacific. And this is one area that American policymakers should be deeply concerned about right now.

Ten months ago, China was already using influence operations and elite capture to tempt Pacific island states to pledge allegiance to Beijing and turn away from Taiwan. Since then, some islands have succumbed to Chinese inducements or succumbed to pressure.

On Monday, Nauru’s newly elected government announced it would end further official exchanges with Taipei and switch allegiance to China in exchange for more than $100 million a year in aid for an indefinite period.

It may have been predictable that Nauru would embrace China and Xi Jinping. Nauru’s new president, David Adane, has previously praised communist Cuba’s totalitarian regime and banned media interviews with opposition parties in parliament. While previously serving as a member of parliament, he helped establish relations with two of Russia’s puppet states, the breakaway Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in exchange for millions of dollars in “economic aid” from Russia ( Apparently that didn’t happen).

During my time as Ambassador to Nauru, I visited remote windswept islands, met kind-hearted people, and maintained regular contact with then-President Lionel Aingimea. He professed to be a staunch anti-communist and recognized the growing Chinese threat and the importance of countering it.

It was an honor to sign the Nauru-US Investment Incentive Agreement with my Nauruan counterpart, Michael Aloi, which provides investment support to the US through the Development Finance Corporation. Mr. Aingimea also worked with the State Department to support Clean Networks to protect the country from high-risk Chinese technology embedded in 5G internet systems.

Nauru’s turn to Beijing is therefore disappointing, if not surprising.

My approach as ambassador to five Pacific Island countries was based on the idea that regular and substantive engagement and support can have a huge impact. Unfortunately, we seem to be missing an opportunity to strengthen our ties with the peoples of the Pacific Islands, who have a natural bond with the peoples and principles of the free world.

As U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Studeman (retired) said in a powerful speech a year ago while serving as Commander of Naval Intelligence, “The China problem is much more than understood or appreciated. It’s huge.” Unless we quickly and diligently expand our involvement in the Indo-Pacific, this huge problem will soon become astronomical.

The government and Congress should work with Five Eyes partners and others to consider what has worked well at relatively low cost in the Pacific and implement it at scale.

The Pacific island countries Tuvalu and Palau are scheduled to hold general elections this year, with Tuvalu’s election to be held today, January 26th, and Palau’s on November 12th. The pressure exerted by the Chinese government on these and other island countries is immense. The cost and negative impact of any further reversal across the Pacific cannot be overstated.

Former Tuvaluan Prime Minister and current opposition leader Enele Sopoaga has made related statements in recent months. He has vowed to tear up the deal with Australia if elected to lead the government. Current Finance Minister Seve Paeniu, who is said to maintain close contacts with China, has also suggested that Tuvalu may review its relationship with Taiwan after the election.

The Chinese Communist Party has made clear that its aim is to create a “community with a shared future for mankind” and replace today’s rules-based world order with one controlled by China. China is creeping from island to island in the Pacific Ocean. The United States and its allies should remember the history of other aggressive adversaries in the Pacific. Otherwise, history may soon repeat itself.

Joseph Serra served as U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu from 2019 to 2021. He is the founder of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, co-founder of Catholic Vote, and director of the Michigan-China Economic Security Review. group.