Security and Economic Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region

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From July 11 -21, 2023, the FPC provided 20 foreign journalists the opportunity to travel to California and Hawaii to see first-hand ways in which security and economic ties reinforce Indo-Pacific Security. 

The International Reporting Tour (IRT) on Security and Economic Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region commenced on July 12 in San Francisco, bringing together approximately 20 journalists from across the globe. The tour aimed to explore themes related to security and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

In San Francisco, the journalists had a productive start with a welcome and introductory session, followed by a meeting with Danny Wan, the Executive Director of the Port of Oakland. Mr. Wan discussed infrastructure modernization, international standards of alternative energy, and logistics management. Additionally, the group had the opportunity to learn about marine security from the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area Command.

The tour continued on July 13 with a briefing with State Department briefers from the Bureau of East Asia and the Pacific and the Bureau of South and Central Asia , addressing key topics on U.S-China relations and ASEAN at the Asia Society. Later, the group visited the headquarters of Google.

On July 14, the program featured a briefing with Dominic Ng, Chair of the Business Advisory Council to APEC, and two briefings with Hoover Institution Fellows Larry Diamond and Darrell Duffie, focused on U.S. – Indo-Pacific Policy. The day concluded with a visit to the Intel corporation.

On July 15, the California portion of the tour came to an end with a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Here, the journalists had a briefing on Marine Conservation and Climate Change by Executive Director Julie Packard. Later, they engaged in a discussion on nuclear disarmament at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey. The group then traveled to Honolulu, HI on July 16.

In Honolulu, HI, on July 18, the tour continued with a meeting with Tsurumi Hamasu, Trade Representative of Foreign Trade Zone number 9, and faculty members from the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies. They discussed trade and security implications of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy.

The next day, July 19, the journalists visited the East-West Center, where they participated in a panel discussion on recent developments in the Indo Pacific region. Rear Admiral Brett R. Sonter, Deputy Director Maritime Operations, United States Pacific Fleet, briefed the group on U.S. Navy posture in the Pacific rim. The day concluded with a culturally enriching visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center and a conversation with PCC Director Alfred Grace.

On the third program day in Honolulu, HI, July 20, the group met with a Brigadier General at the Army Pacific Headquarters and visited the Hawaii headquarters of Booz, Allen Hamilton to learn about their efforts in providing AI solutions to modern problems. The day ended with a briefing on geo-political issues by a three-person panel from the Pacific Forum.