French Senate Report Warns of ‘Foreign Interference’ in the Pacific

In an extensive 111-page report on its Pacific territories, the French Senate has warned of “the interference of a foreign power” in the region, calling it “a matter for concern. It must be taken seriously.” It also covers a range of issues, from changes to territories’ powers under their current autonomy status to the growing problems associated with the consumption of drugs, including methamphetamine. Due to its strategic location in the Pacific Ocean, the senators note that French Polynesia is subject to the influence of major powers vying for supremacy in the region, especially “the United States, Asia, and mostly China.”...