Biden says U.S. and world security depend on Pacific security

U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken attend the U.S.- Pacific Island Country Summit at the State Department in Washington, U.S. September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. President Joe Biden told Pacific island leaders on Thursday that the security of the United States and the world depended on security in their region.

Biden spoke at the State Department where the United States is hosting more than a dozen leaders and representatives of Pacific island countries as part of an effort to stem China's expanding influence in the region.

U.S. President Joe Biden sits next to Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he delivers remarks at the U.S.- Pacific Island Country Summit at the State Department in Washington, U.S. September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw, Costas Pitas, David Brunnstrom and Michael Martina; Editing by Leslie Adler)