SUVA, Fiji—China's push for deeper security and trade ties with Pacific Island countries stalled, leading its top diplomat to assure the region that Beijing wasn't seeking to drag them into its strategic competition with the U.S. and allies.
In a check on Chinese ambitions, Pacific Island nations at a summit on Monday deferred action on a regionwide proposal that would have extended Beijing's influence to areas including law enforcement and cybersecurity. Days earlier, the president of the Federated States of Micronesia had urged counterparts in the region to rebuff the Chinese deal, fearing it would needlessly heighten geopolitical tensions.
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