Don't worry about bilateral relations, Prime Minister of Tonga refutes Antony Blinken in person: the relationship between Tonga and China is focusing on infrastructure | the United States | Prime Minister
[Zhang Sisi, Special correspondent of the Global Times in the United States, and Bai Baiyi, reporter of the Global Times] On the 26th, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tonga, South Pacific Island, for a visit. At the same time, US Secretary of Defense Austin visited Papua New Guinea. Chen Hong, a professor at East China Normal University and Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Research Center, told Global Times reporters that geographically speaking, South Pacific countries are adjacent to the South China Sea. If the United States wants to "cause trouble" there, it will inevitably hope that South Pacific countries can become its "pivot".
On July 26, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken listened to the speech of Tonga Prime Minister Sovaleni at a press conference in Tonga Nukualofa.
According to Reuters, Antony Blinken held talks with Tongan Prime Minister Sovaleni on the 26th and attended the opening ceremony of the US Embassy in Tonga. Antony Blinken said at the joint press conference on the same day that the United States "is committed to developing relations with Tonga and the pan Pacific island countries". When talking about China, he first said, "We do not oppose any investment or participation from any other country, including China.". But he immediately changed his tone, stating that as China's participation in the region continues to increase, the United States believes that "some of China's actions are becoming increasingly problematic", and some people are concerned about whether investment from China is transparent.
But Antony Blinken's speech was immediately refuted by the Prime Minister of Tonga. Sovaleni, who attended the press conference together, stated that the relationship between Tonga and China is currently focused on development issues such as infrastructure construction, and there is no concern about Tonga's relationship with China. Moreover, the Wall Street Journal of the United States reported that on the main island of Tonga, there is a plethora of presence related to China, with many storefronts and commercial vehicles bearing Chinese logos. The main government building where Antony Blinken held the press conference with the Prime Minister of Tonga was built with the help of Chinese enterprises.
While Antony Blinken was visiting Tonga, US Defense Minister Austin flew from Washington to PNG on the 26th. The Pentagon said Austin will be there to discuss the next steps for the two countries after signing a new bilateral defense agreement. There are reports that the agreement will allow the United States to use military bases within Papua New Guinea, which may involve the country in a US China game.
Some analysts believe that the United States is strengthening its efforts to woo South Pacific Island countries in order to counter China's growing influence in the region. Al Jazeera TV said on the 26th that this was Antony Blinken's third visit to the Asia Pacific region in the past two months. Just a few days ago, the US State Department also announced plans to significantly increase spending on US diplomatic personnel and facilities in South Pacific. According to National Public Radio, the United States has taken various diplomatic actions in the past six months, including renewing the Free Association Agreement with the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, opening new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga, and signing a defense agreement with Papua New Guinea.
Chen Hong said that in the past 10 years, the achievements of cooperation between China and South Pacific Island have become increasingly evident, and have received considerable support from the local government and people. This success undoubtedly caused political anxiety in Washington, so it vigorously tarnished China's efforts while increasing its political influence and wooing towards South Pacific countries. But this political anxiety precisely demonstrates the success of China's cooperation with South Pacific countries and its difficulty in being easily shaken.
