Pompeo makes history in Pohnpei, courts Pacific allies

Mike Pompeo became the first US Secretary of State to visit Micronesia Monday, as Washington's signalled a renewed interest in its Pacific allies, no matter how small, in the face of regional competition with China.

Pompeo touched down on the paradise island of Pohnpei where he will spend a few hours meeting leaders from Micronesia's Federated States, as well as neighbouring micro-states like Palau and the Marshall Islands.

The diplomatic courtship follows a visit by Pacific Island leaders to the White House earlier this year, part of America's drive for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific to counter China's increasingly muscular and expansionist policies.

"It's still a major strategic area, and this isn't new," said a senior State Department official noting past ties. "Now, the level of interaction is clearly elevated."