SYDNEY - In February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken found time in his globetrotting schedule for a rare visit to Fiji, a remote island nation in the South Pacific whose white sandy beaches and luxury resorts have made it an international tourism hot spot.

But Mr Blinken was not there for a holiday. Instead, he was focused on shoring up America's influence in a region that has become a pivotal geopolitical battleground.