The United States is anxious ......, China wins sincerity in South Pacific island last year | country | strategy | region | PNG | US | visit | China | South Pacific | island country

In recent days, South Pacific countries have welcomed two senior officials, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Austin, to visit one after another, which is unusual. Antony Blinken's visit is another visit to the South Pacific island countries since May, while Austin's visit is the first visit to Papua New Guinea by the incumbent US defense minister, which shows that the US attaches importance to this region.

The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration's efforts to confront China in this region will reach new heights.

The US State Department has repeatedly claimed that it is worried that the agreement reached between the South Pacific island countries and China is "hasty" and "opaque", and the words reveal its concern about the South Pacific island countries "making friends" with China.

In this way, it is not difficult to understand why the South Pacific region has suddenly become the "sweet cake" in the eyes of the United States, and the real purpose of Antony Blinken and Austin's visit is looming.

01 US strategic intent is clear

According to the visit schedule announced by the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense, Blinken will leave on the 24th and will attend the opening ceremony of the U.S. Embassy in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, on the 26th, and then visit New Zealand and Australia.

Austin will first visit PNG on the 26th, and then meet with Antony Blinken in Australia. The two will attend the annual "US Australia Ministerial Conference" together.

Since last year, the United States has taken frequent actions in the South Pacific region, mainly including the establishment of a "Blue Pacific Partnership" framework with Pacific island countries in June of last year, in collaboration with the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand; Last August, Deputy Secretary of State Sherman visited Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Australia, and New Zealand; At the end of September last year, the first summit between the United States and Pacific Island Countries was held in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, the United States introduced a 16 page "Pacific Partnership Strategy"; In February and May this year, the United States opened embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga.

In addition, US President Biden was originally scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea after attending the G7 Hiroshima Summit in May this year, becoming the first US President in office to visit Papua New Guinea in nearly a century. However, due to the unresolved debt ceiling crisis in the United States, Biden finally cancelled the visit, and Antony Blinken instead paid a visit, and signed agreements on defense cooperation with Papua New Guinea.

According to a statement from the US Department of Defense, Austin's visit to Papua New Guinea is to discuss the "next steps" after the signing of the defense cooperation agreement.

Although the US has repeatedly claimed that its diplomatic actions are "unrelated to third countries" to the agreements reached, the US government's "Pacific Partnership Strategy" introduced last year has exposed the US's intentions.

According to some media reports, the United States, after World War II, relied on close relations with South Pacific countries and neglected to pay attention to this region for decades. Since China signed a bilateral security framework agreement with the Solomon Islands in April last year, the United States has become increasingly restless about China's continued expansion of influence in the South Pacific region.

02 Make friends and let the US have the final say?

In recent years, the U.S. government has repeatedly expressed "dissatisfaction" with China's exchanges with South Pacific island countries. Various kinds of dirty water have emerged one after another, which is "economic coercion" and "shadow agreement". It even claims that some cooperation will "aggravate the tension in the Pacific".

On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly emphasized China's "four full respect" policy towards Pacific island countries, which includes fully respecting their sovereignty and independence, fully respecting their wishes, fully respecting their national cultural traditions, and fully respecting their unity and self-improvement. This is the fundamental principle for China to develop relations with Pacific island countries.

The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, who ended his visit to China in mid month, stated that Solomon Islands is a sovereign country, and it is our own responsibility to establish diplomatic relations and cooperate with whom.

The South Pacific countries were once Western colonies, but now Western countries still treat these countries with a condescending attitude. In the relationship between the United States and South Pacific island countries, there are still many unresolved historical issues, and the hegemonic approach of the United States has long caused dissatisfaction among Pacific island countries.

Taking the Marshall Islands as an example, the United States has conducted over 60 nuclear tests on the Bikini Atoll and Eniwetok Atoll in the northwest of the archipelago since the 1940s, forcing many residents to leave their homeland due to nuclear radiation and other toxic pollutants, and they are still unable to return home.

Although the United States ultimately compromised and recognized the nuclear legacy of the Cold War in the declaration, in terms of follow-up measures, the declaration only stated that the United States remains committed to addressing the ongoing environmental, public health, and other welfare issues in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, without proposing any specific measures.

In addition to the urgent need to address historical legacy issues, the strategic goals of the United States and South Pacific island countries have always been misplaced, and it is questionable whether the United States truly values the concerns of island countries.

Specifically, the strategic goal of the United States is to maintain a strategic advantage in this region, under the guise of maintaining regional security and stability. But one of the strategic goals of South Pacific Island is to address the potential "bottomless disaster" that climate change may bring to itself, rather than the so-called "safety and stability" or "freedom of navigation".

03 friends meet in the heart

The last time Blinken visited PNG, student protests occurred in many universities in PNG. Many people worried that the signing of a defense agreement between the two countries would involve PNG in strategic competition among major powers. After the signing of the defense agreement between the two countries, PNG Prime Minister Malape stressed that signing the agreement with the United States does not mean that PNG will not sign similar agreements with other countries, including China.

Some Western media also acknowledge in their reports that although these remote Pacific island countries have small land areas, they are by no means pawns at the mercy of others. They are sovereign countries with their own interests and aspirations.

Since the gradual establishment of diplomatic relations in the 1970s, China has provided a large amount of economic and technical assistance to Pacific island countries without any political conditions attached, cultivating tens of thousands of talents in various fields for the island countries. Considering the large investment and long cycle of infrastructure construction, China has provided various forms of targeted financing support based on the actual situation of island countries, fully demonstrating its sincere willingness to help island countries develop. These practical cooperation have effectively promoted the economic development and improvement of people's livelihoods of island countries, winning high praise from the island government and people.

During his visit to China, Sogavare stated that China's assistance has touched the hearts of every Solomon Islander and will further enhance the relationship between the two peoples.

Friendship is valued in sincerity, and national friendship should not be judged by size.True friends will not criticize others when making friends, let alone force them to choose sides and stand in line.