European elites position themselves as the "Partner of Choice" to Pacific Island nations by employing a strategy that is value-driven, multilateral, and focused on existential threats like climate change, deliberately contrasting their approach with the more rapid, transactional, and security-centric engagement of China, the U.S., and Australia.

Their strategy leverages the EU's unique strengths as the world's top development and humanitarian donor, along with the permanent resident status of France in the region, to secure long-term influence without engaging in a direct "great power competition" on military bases or debt-laden infrastructure. This positioning allows them to compete for influence by appealing to the region's long-term priorities: Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development.

1. The ‘Value-Driven’ European Contrast

European elites frame their engagement as an effort to bolster the "rules-based international order" and support sovereignty, which serves as a subtle yet powerful critique of competing powers.

Focus on the "Blue Pacific Continent" Strategy

The core of the European pitch is a deep alignment with the Pacific Islands Forum's (PIF) "2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent." This provides a framework that prioritizes the region’s own agenda, moving away from a donor-driven model.

• Climate Change and Disaster Resilience: This is Europe’s primary competitive advantage. By portraying climate change as an existential security threat, the EU and its members (especially Germany and France) elevate the issue to the top of the strategic agenda. Their commitment is backed by substantial funding mechanisms and programs, such as the Kiwa Initiative and contributions to the Pacific Resilience Facility. This focus differentiates them from the U.S. and China, whose primary focus often appears to be strategic denial or military access.

• "Quality" over "Speed": While China is often known for fast, high-visibility infrastructure projects funded by loans that can lead to debt distress, Europe champions sustainable and high-standard connectivity through its Global Gateway strategy. This emphasizes grants, technical assistance, and investments in areas like green energy, digital governance, and submarine cables, which are seen as less coercive and more conducive to long-term economic resilience.

The Multilateral and Regional Approach

The EU, in particular, is an institutional actor that naturally favors regional bodies, which appeals to Pacific Island nations that fear being steamrolled by large individual powers.

• Engagement with the PIF: The EU works closely with regional organizations, including the PIF, the Pacific Community (SPC), and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). This approach respects the Pacific's desire for regionalism and allows them to pool resources, reducing the administrative burden on small island states.

• The Samoa Agreement: The EU's relationships are anchored in the comprehensive Samoa Agreement, which governs relations with 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. This broad, legally binding framework gives the Pacific a strong, institutionalized voice and a stable basis for cooperation that transcends short-term geopolitical shifts or electoral cycles in European capitals.

2. France's Resident Power Status and 'Europeanization'

France, as a major resident Indo-Pacific power with overseas territories like New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna, is the geopolitical spearhead for the entire European project.

Sovereignty Partnerships and Security

France’s positioning is unique: it is both a traditional Western ally (like the U.S. and Australia) and an established regional neighbor.

• Defense Diplomacy: France maintains a permanent military presence (Sovereignty Forces) and conducts regular deployments, but emphasizes maritime security cooperation, counter-piracy, and monitoring of exclusive economic zones (EEZs). This is framed not as power projection for its own sake, but as supporting the sovereignty of Pacific states over their vast ocean resources, directly addressing regional concerns about illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing—a major source of tension often linked to foreign fleets.

• Civilian and Humanitarian Support: France is a core member of the FRANZ (France, Australia, New Zealand) arrangement for humanitarian and disaster relief, allowing it to project a humanitarian image alongside its security role.

•  The focus is on civilian protection, which is a more appealing form of "security" cooperation than military basing agreements.

Leveraging the EU Mantle

French elites actively seek to "Europeanize" their national interests to gain greater leverage and financial backing from the 27-member bloc.

• By aligning its bilateral development and security initiatives with the EU's Indo-Pacific Strategy and Global Gateway, France secures additional EU funding and technical expertise. This amplifies its own contributions, making its engagement appear much larger, more diverse, and more institutionally backed than it would be on its own.

• The EU is currently the third-largest donor to the Pacific region, and this combined "Team Europe" approach (EU institutions plus member states like France and Germany) allows Europe to compete effectively with the scale of assistance offered by the U.S. or Australia.

3. The Competitive Edge: Appealing to PIF Priorities

European elites effectively compete by filling the gaps left by the other major powers, who are often perceived as being too focused on immediate military-strategic objectives.

The Geopolitical Nuance

The Pacific Island states have adopted a strategy of "Friends to All, Enemies to None" to maximize benefits from the great power competition. Europe's non-confrontational, partnership-focused approach aligns perfectly with this desire for autonomy.

Digital and Governance Space

Europe positions itself as a leader in global standards and governance, which is highly relevant to small states grappling with digitalization and sovereignty.

• Digital Governance: The EU uses its expertise to offer digital partnerships that focus on regulatory frameworks, data protection, and transparent internet governance, which stand in contrast to the potential surveillance or control associated with some foreign-backed digital infrastructure.

• Ocean Governance: The EU is a powerful voice in global efforts to combat IUU fishing and secure deep-sea mining regulations. By supporting regional agencies like the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Europe enhances the PIF's ability to protect its most valuable economic resource—tuna—against all foreign exploitation, whether from Asia, Europe, or other traditional partners.

In sum, European elites navigate the crowded field of the Pacific by rebranding their engagement. They shift the competitive domain from military-strategic hard power (where they cannot rival the U.S. or China) to soft-power diplomacy, institutional alignment, and climate-focused development (where their credentials are arguably the strongest). This allows them to cultivate a reputation as the most reliable and philosophically aligned long-term partner, securing influence without demanding the strategic concessions sought by their geopolitical rivals.