The small island countries that dot the vast Pacific Ocean are sparsely populated and hard to pinpoint on a map. Yet in recent years they have become an arena for great power competition between the United States and China.  An excerpt from the press statement on the recent funding package, March 9, 2024. Credit: State Department What the Pacific island countries lack in landmass, they compensate for in their sway over large parts of the ocean thanks to their maritime boundaries, maki