我中心喻常森研究员谈“美澳应放弃对南太平洋的‘殖民狂热’”

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2022年6月13日，我中心喻常森研究员谈“美澳应放弃对南太平洋的‘殖民狂热’”。相关内容见GD Today报道：

 

 

"China sees the Pacific Island countries as a partner of 'south-south cooperation', which is a partnership between developing countries and aims for mutual benefits," said Yu Changsen, research fellow with the Center for Oceanian Studies at Sun Yat-sen University.

 

Yu believes the interference of countries including US and Australia in the development of China-Pacific Island countries (PICs) relations, especially in the security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands, reflects their "mania for colonization".

 

Yu Changsen. (Photo provided for GD Today)

 

Yu Changsen is a professor emeritus at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China's Guangdong province. His research fields cover China-Oceanian countries relations, Australia's foreign policy and Asia-Pacific regional cooperation.

 

The "colonizer mindset" should be blamed

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently conducted a 10-day diplomatic tour of the Pacific Island nations, when China and PICs signed and reached 52 bilateral cooperation outcomes, covering 15 areas, including climate change, pandemic response, disaster prevention and mitigation, agriculture and trade. 

 

In an interview after the visit, Wang emphasized that China has no intention of competing with anyone for influence or engaging in geographical competition. However, US and Australia have voiced their concerns over China’s engagement in the South Pacific, especially over its bilateral security framework agreement with the Solomon Islands.

 

"Countries such as US and Australia have longstanding relationships in the South Pacific. They are seeking to control PICs and safeguard their so-called 'sphere of influence'," Yu said. "But the Pacific Island countries are sovereign states, rather than anyone's backyard."

 

Yu noted the security agreement between China and Solomon Islands does not involve the building of any military bases. "The main content of the agreement is about policing cooperation, in a bid to enhance Solomon Islands' capacity of safeguarding its own social stability and responding to security emergencies," Yu furthered, "The cooperation targets no third party."

 

The view of a harbour in Solomon Islands. (Photo/Xinhua)

 

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the security agreement with China was needed because an agreement with Australia was "inadequate" when addressing parliament in April and lashed Australia's signing of the AUKUS defence alliance with the US and UK last year without consulting PICs.

"AUKUS is tasked with helping Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines," Yu goes on, "It is a sheer violation of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty."

Yu pointed out even in the 21st century, Australia and US were reluctant to give up their "mania for colonization". "From their perspective, there is no need to consult PICs," Yu said.

 

"China-Pacific Islands cooperation based on equality and reciprocity"

"The cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries is under the framework of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Infrastructure construction is a major part of China's assistance to those nations. There is also cooperation in tackling climate change, talent training and developing electronic commerce," Yu elaborated.

With geographical proximity, "the region of Pacific Islands is also a key area for Guangdong's comprehensive opening up to the world on a higher level," Yu said.

In recent years, Guangdong has carried out various assistance to and cooperation with PICs in the fields of trade, livelihood assistance, COVID response and public health, disaster prevention and mitigation, human resources development, cultural exchanges and more, according to the Fact Sheet: Cooperation Between Guangdong Province and Pacific Island Countries (Fact Sheet).

For example, as shown in the Fact Sheet, since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, Guangdong has donated more than 1.8 million pieces of medical supplies such as masks, test reagents, gloves, protective clothing and forehead thermometers, as well as 30 isolation wards. In addition, enterprises in Guangdong province have participated in the construction and operation of infrastructure, agricultural and fishery projects in PICs such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Samoa.

Yu noted, "The development of China-Pacific Islands countries relations will be always on the basis of equality and reciprocity and for the benefits of the people on the two sides."

 

 

（本文转引自GD Today，2022年6月13日，https://www.newsgd.com/node_99363c4f3b/d11452749b.shtml）