Your current location:HOME >politics >Does the U.S. See Pacific Island Countries As "True Partners"? 正文
TIME:2024-05-22 05:52:53 Source: Internet compilationEdit:politics
By Xin Ping (Xinhua) 14:15, August 29, 2023Late last July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken be
Late last July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken became the first-ever Cabinet official to visit Tonga. Meanwhile, Lloyd Austin visited Papua New Guinea, making him the first U.S. Secretary of Defense visiting the country. It is quite uncommon for the two top officials of the U.S. foreign service and military to visit Pacific island countries at the same time. Why does the U.S. begin to care so much about this region all of a sudden?
Perhaps what Mr. Blinken told reporters at the Joint Press Availability offered the answer. After repeating some clichs of the U.S. being a strong partner of countries in the region, the Secretary changed the tone by saying that "Chinese engagement with the region has grown, there has been some increasingly problematic behavior". The Washington Post has interpreted incisively the intention of this Guest of Honor, i.e., having abandoned the South Pacific for so long after the Cold War, Washington suddenly noticed that Beijing was out-competing it in even the tiniest countries. So the Biden administration has to rush to reboot its long-dormant ties with the island nations where China has a strong presence.
It seems that the recent "interest" in the Pacific island countries shown by the U.S. is not about bringing prosperity and stability, as the U.S. has solemnly declared. In fact, in the history of U.S. relationship with the South Pacific, there is hardly any occasion when the former had shown some mercy on the latter and the wounds inflicted by the U.S. on these island countries are still difficult to heal.
During World War II, the U.S. left large quantities of munitions and hazardous chemical wastes in the Solomon Islands, bringing long-lasting damage and harm to the local environment and the health of local people. Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. detonated 67 nuclear bombs on, in and above the Marshall Islands—vaporizing whole islands, carving craters into its shallow lagoons and exiling hundreds of people from their homes. The testing of Castle Bravo was a typical case, which made the Marshallese "guinea pigs" for the U.S. radiation research. Cancer cases, miscarriages and deformities multiplied ever since. Till 1967, ten years after the Bravo detonation, there were still many young islanders who developed thyroid disorders or died of leukemia.
The petty sum of so-called compensation from the U.S. cannot make up the grave losses suffered by the people on the islands. A formal apology is still owed from the White House. Once the Cold War drew to an end, the U.S. believed that it had achieved a solid uni-polar hegemony and the South Pacific island countries had no strategic value anymore. It therefore began to cut off foreign aid and financial assistance to the Pacific islands, including the nuclear compensation.
The once-abandoned became the cherished now, not because the U.S. is stung by conscience but because there comes the need to use these countries as a "chessman" in its rivalry against China. Regarding the South Pacific as its own backyard, Washington would rather allow it overgrown with weeds than tolerate any "outsider" planting some flowers in it. Take the Pacific Partnership Strategy for example. The motive to formulate this paper is to counteract some so-called "economic coercion" by China, which in a non-U.S. narration refers to cooperation with China in enhancing local infrastructure, mitigating climate change, improving health care, developing agriculture and so on.
To some extent, if the "increased Chinese influence", as Washington describes it, does bring some stimulation to the U.S., it is not a bad thing: at least the gardener finally set out to care about his yard. As a Tongan netizen wrote on social media, "If it weren't for the recent Chinese embassy building in Nuku'alofa (Tonga's capital), I'm afraid the United States would never have noticed Tonga".
But still, we should bear in mind that the Pacific island countries are a land of its people rather than anyone's backyard, still less an arena for geopolitical games. The region could become a platform for international cooperation if the real partners share the same view of common development and respect the island countries' right to choose their own way to develop. This is not only the proper demeanour of a major country, but also a responsibility for regional peace and stability.
(The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News, Global Times, China Daily, CGTN etc. He can be reached at [email protected].)
Juneteenth proclaimed state holiday again in Alabama, after bill to make it permanent falters2024-05-22 05:38
Audit cites potential legal violations in purchase of $19,000 lectern for Arkansas governor2024-05-22 05:29
Chicago White Sox activate slugger Eloy Jiménez from the 102024-05-22 05:13
Junta shelling, airstrikes kill 25 Rohingyas in Myanmar’s Rakhine state — Radio Free Asia2024-05-22 05:11
Hometown of Laura Ingalls Wilder set for a growth spurt2024-05-22 04:57
Regular passenger flights between Taiyuan, Hong Kong to resume2024-05-22 04:52
Two bodies are found in hunt for Kansas moms who disappeared two weeks ago2024-05-22 04:15
China's top legislature kick2024-05-22 04:12
UN maritime tribunal says countries are legally required to reduce greenhouse gas pollution2024-05-22 03:29
Maine is the latest to join an interstate compact to elect the president by popular vote2024-05-22 03:14
Fake elector case: Former Arizona GOP chair Kelli Ward and others set to be arraigned2024-05-22 05:50
Lloyd Omdahl, a former North Dakota lieutenant governor and newspaper columnist, dies at 932024-05-22 05:44
Marlins' Jake Burger placed on injured list with left intercostal muscle strain2024-05-22 05:43
How major US stock indexes fared Monday, 4/15/20242024-05-22 05:39
What to stream: Lenny Kravitz, South Park, 'Dune: Part 2'2024-05-22 04:53
Two bodies are found in hunt for Kansas moms who disappeared two weeks ago2024-05-22 04:34
Budimir misses unforgettable last2024-05-22 04:15
NFL's first medical summit brought teams together to collaborate on improving player safety2024-05-22 03:42
Rafael Devers sets team record by homering in 6th straight game as Red Sox top Rays 52024-05-22 03:31
Justice Thomas misses Supreme Court session with no explanation2024-05-22 03:18