By Chen Hong
陈弘
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken chaired the first Ministerial Meeting of the so-called Partners in the Blue Pacific in New York, on September 22. Formed in June 2022, this informal group, allegedly aimed to coordinate aid for Pacific island countries, has the US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the UK as its members, with Canada just announcing its plan to join. Washington claimed building such a partnership is for the good of the South Pacific island countries. Is that true?
美国国务卿布林肯22日在纽约主持举行了所谓“蓝色太平洋伙伴关系”首次外长会。这个非正式集团今年6月成立，目的据称是“协调对太平洋岛国的援助”，目前成员包括美国、澳大利亚、日本、新西兰和英国，加拿大刚刚宣布将加入。美方声称推动建立这个“伙伴关系”是为南太岛国好，但实际上呢？
In recent years, the US has been very anxious about the equal and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and South Pacific island countries. In 2022 alone, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House’s Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and several other officials visited a number of island countries in the South Pacific. It came as no surprise that they, without exception, were fabricating and hyping up the “China threat theory” in the attempt to thwart their cooperation with China, and vowing to provide more aid to them, claiming that the US has come back to the Pacific.
近年来，美国对中国和南太岛国的平等互利合作极其焦虑。仅在今年，美方就有国务卿布林肯、白宫印太事务协调员坎贝尔、副国务卿舍曼等多名高官接踵前往南太多个岛国。不出意外，他们捏造和炒作“中国威胁论”，挑拨太平洋岛国和中国的合作，信誓旦旦地保证将会加大对南太岛国援助，高调宣称“美国已经重返太平洋地区”。
However, Washing, facing multiple domestic challenges such as political polarization and economic woes, has no heart to help the South Pacific with real cash and concrete actions. Therefore, after forming the Quad and AUKUS, it is now – again – scrambling together this new group of allies and trying to use them as its cat’s paw in the strategic competition against China in the Pacific region.
但华盛顿正面临国内政治极化以及经济形势堪忧等多重挑战，并不真正愿在帮助南太方面拿出真金白银和实际行动，于是，在继“四边机制”“奥库斯”之后，美国又重演纠集盟友那一套，拼凑出这个新的小集团，企图利用盟国和伙伴为其火中取栗，在太平洋地区与中国开展“战略竞争”。
While putting together this small circle of Partners in the Blue Pacific, American officials continued to smear China’s intention of working with South Pacific island countries. But both the people of those countries and the whole international community know perfectly well who is making waves in the beautiful blue Pacific.
就在撺掇这个“蓝色太平洋伙伴关系”小圈子过程中，美方官员继续污蔑中国与南太岛国合作的出发点，但究竟谁在不断把美丽的蓝色太平洋搅动得不复平和安宁，太平洋岛国人民和整个国际社会都看得清清楚楚。
The US side claimed that the Pacific island countries are faring much worse than before and that their way of life has been threatened. Well, in history, they were indeed enslaved, exploited and plundered by western colonists. After they gained independence, western countries turned a blind eye to how their colonial rule has damaged the local economy and society, and never provided any substantial aid and support to them, just leaving them with backward economy, inadequate infrastructure, and a dire state of life. In the past decade and more, the cooperation between Pacific island countries and China has yielded tremendous success. China’s aid, construction, and investment on the principle of equality and mutual benefits are bringing satisfying changes to their economy and livelihood.
美方声称太平洋岛国的状况比过去糟糕得多，“他们的生活方式受到威胁”，但在历史上，太平洋岛国曾遭受西方殖民者奴役、剥削和掠夺。在岛国相继独立后，西方国家长期无视殖民统治对当地经济和社会造成的严重破坏，忽视对岛国的实质性援助和支持，那个时候岛国长期经济落后，基础设施建设不足，人民生活贫困。近十多年来，太平洋岛国和中国开展的合作取得巨大成功。中国在平等互利原则下的援建、投资等各项合作，正在为岛国的经济和民生带来喜人变化。
The rumors like “debt trap” and “military base” fabricated by the US-led West out of thin air are falling flat like bubbles. Driven by its anti-China strategy, America’s attempt to turn the Pacific island countries into tools and weapons is the real threat to regional stability, serenity and development. It proclaimed that the Partners in the Blue Pacific will focus on what those countries need, but have they – like the US and Japan – ever tried to understand and consider their concerns? Or do they even care to?
美西方无中生有地编造所谓中国“债务陷阱”“军事基地”等谣言正在不攻自破。美国遏华战略企图将太平洋岛国工具化、武器化，才是对南太地区稳定、安宁和发展的真正威胁。美方声称，“蓝色太平洋伙伴关系”将着眼太平洋岛国的需求，但美日这些国家认真了解和考虑过南太岛国真正的关切吗？
When addressing the general debate of the UN General Assembly on September 22, President of the Federated States of Micronesia David Panuelo condemned Japan’s decision to dump the radwaste water from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, he said that "the impacts of this decision are both transboundary and intergenerational in nature". He indignantly called upon the international community to face squarely the unimaginable threats that will surely arise from Japan’s dumping of wastewater, such as nuclear contamination, marine pollution, and the eventual damage tothe blue Pacific continent.
22日，密克罗尼西亚联邦总统帕努埃洛在联大一般性辩论发言时，强烈谴责日本将福岛第一核电站核污水排入太平洋的决定。帕努埃洛指出，日本这样做本质上会造成“跨国界”和“跨世代”的影响。他愤怒地表示，不能对核污染、海洋污染和最终破坏蓝色太平洋大陆等难以想象的威胁视而不见。
While pledging their care for the needs of the people living on the Pacific island countries, the US-led West has connived and indulged in Japan, a member of the Partners in the Blue Pacific, dumping the wastewater into the sea, knowing perfectly that’s against international law and humanity. There is no better proof of the double standards and hypocrisy of this small circle. If these western countries are true partners for the island countries, they should fully recognize and reply to their legitimate demand for peace and development, instead of just paying lip service and using them as a tool to contain China.
一方面口口声声关心太平洋岛国人民的需求，另一方面又默许、纵容日本这个“蓝色太平洋伙伴关系”成员明知故犯地“排污入海”，这让“蓝色太平洋伙伴”这个小圈子的双标和伪善昭然若揭。如果这些国家真的是太平洋岛国的伙伴，就应深刻认识和回应岛国人民要和平、求发展的正当合理要求，而不是口惠而实不至，甚至只是将岛国视作对华围堵的工具。
(The author is director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University)
（作者是华东师范大学澳大利亚研究中心主任）
Editor's note: Originally published on huanqiu.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
