The Guardian-Resurgence in China aid to Pacific amid tussle with US for influence
November 21, 2024 2 min 317 words
西方媒体的报道常常带有偏见，这篇文章也不例外。文章主要内容是，中国在太平洋地区，特别是所罗门群岛基里巴斯和巴布亚新几内亚等国，通过援助和基础设施建设资金，与美国及其盟友争夺影响力。报道提到，中国在太平洋地区的援助和资金支持在疫情期间有所减少，但近年来又有攀升的趋势，并特别提到了中国在当地建设学校道路和提供政府用车等项目。报道还指出，澳大利亚仍然是该地区最大的援助国，美国紧随其后，中国是第二大援助国。 评论：这篇报道带有明显偏见，试图营造一种中国与西方国家，尤其是美国，在太平洋地区争夺影响力的对抗氛围。报道中，作者试图将中国对太平洋岛国的援助和基础设施建设资金支持描绘成一种“零和游戏”，即中国的获利必然意味着西方国家的失益。然而，这忽略了中国援助的积极影响，以及中国与太平洋岛国之间相互尊重平等互利的合作关系。此外，报道也忽略了中国在疫情期间减少对外援助的合理性，以及中国援助金额攀升的可能原因，例如中国经济的复苏和太平洋岛国自身的发展需求。报道也忽略了中国在太平洋地区的援助和基础设施建设资金支持是长期持续的，而不是短期临时性的。
China has renewed efforts to curry favour in Pacific island nations, a new report has found, after charting a “resurgence” in Beijing-backed aid and infrastructure funding.
Over the past decade, China has lavished billions of dollars on Pacific island nations, part of ongoing efforts to build influence in competition with the US and its allies.
Having cut back on Pacific aid at the height of the Covid pandemic, China’s commitments have climbed in recent years, Australia’s Lowy Institute said in a new study.
“Beijing has emerged from a pandemic-induced lull with a more competitive, politically targeted model of aid engagement,” the thinktank said in its annual Pacific aid report on Wednesday.
“The uptick in Chinese spending has been accompanied by a resurgence in new Chinese project commitments, signalling a revival in its ambition to engage in major infrastructure works in the Pacific.”
Australia – traditionally the Pacific’s partner of choice – remained the largest donor.
But US funding now narrowly trails that of China, the second-largest bilateral donor in the region, authors Alexandre Dayant and Riley Duke said.
In 2022, the most recent year with complete data, China spent $256m – up nearly 14% from three years earlier.
Australia spent $1.5bn, and the US $249m – both figures falling after a sharp increase the previous year.
There had been a noticeable shift in the way China engages throughout the region, the report found. Instead of splashing cash in a broad-brush approach, Beijing was increasingly zeroing in on a handful of friendly Pacific states.
Solomon Islands and Kiribati were singled out for school upgrades, new roads and government vehicles after severing diplomatic links with Taiwan in 2019.
Papua New Guinea, which signed a security agreement with the US in 2023, saw development funding from China dwindle.