U.S. engagement in the Pacific Islands had been historically lacking, despite the islands’ geopolitical importance. In recent years, the U.S. has begun serious efforts to engage with the Pacific Islands as part of the broader U.S. Indo–Pacific strategy and the first U.S. Pacific Partnership Strategy. The possibility of an independent Bougainville—currently part of Papua New Guinea (PNG)—provides the U.S. an opportunity to be a proactive, rather than reactive, partner to both Bougainville and PNG, no matter how the ongoing negotiations between Bougainville and the government of PNG play out. The U.S. must take advantage of this opportunity, or risk ceding to Beijing a first-mover advantage in a vital corner of the Indo–Pacific, where the balance of power and influence could easily tip in China’s favor.