President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to several Pacific nations has praised Samoa for what he called a careful approach to development loans from China.
Billionaire businessman Jared Novelly, nominated to serve as US ambassador to New Zealand, Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands, told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Samoa had taken a “prudent approach” when dealing with Chinese development loans.
“I would encourage the government in Samoa to continue this approach and ensure it is never pressured into a deal that would compromise its sovereignty,” Novelly said.
Novelly appeared before the committee on Friday as he nears the end of a year-long confirmation process. If confirmed, he will represent the United States in several Pacific countries.
He said in advancing the president’s agenda, the US has few better partners than New Zealand.
Novelly also raised concerns about China’s growing presence in the Pacific, including naval drills conducted by the Chinese navy in the Tasman Sea last year.
He described the exercises as “alarming” and said they highlighted the need for stronger security partnerships in the region.
According to BusinessDesk, his family’s net worth was about US$1.2 billion as of March 2025.
