; (B) are home to some 2.3 million residents constituting diverse and dynamic cultures and people; and (C) face shared challenges and opportunities in development, including climate change, geographic distances from major markets and vulnerability to external shocks such as natural disasters. (2) The United States is a Pacific country with longstanding ties and shared values and interests with the Pacific Islands, including through the Compacts of Free Association with the Freely Associated States, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. (3) The United States has vital national security interests in the Pacific Islands, including— (A) protecting regional peace and security, including through a regional order that fully respects the sovereignty of all nations; (B) advancing economic prosperity through trade and development free from coercion