FILE – U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012. The U.S. on Monday, April 18, 2022, announced it is sending two top officials to the Solomon Islands following a visit last week by an Australian senator over concerns that China could establish a military presence in the South Pacific island nation. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin, File)