#阿根廷要求英国重启马岛主权谈判 #
Text/Sister Xiong
The issue of Falklands sovereignty has once again become the focus of the game between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
According to Reuters, quoted by Reuters by the Observer Network, on March 2, Argentine Foreign Minister Carphilo said that during the G20 summit, he had notified British Foreign Secretary Clively in person that he had decided to suspend the agreement on the Falklands signed by the two countries in 2016 and asked for the resumption of negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falklands.
In response, Clively said that the islanders of the island chose to remain British overseas self-governing territories, and they had the right to determine their own future. Obviously, the British did not budge and directly rejected Argentina's claim to sovereignty over the Falklands.
(Face-to-face exchange between the British and Afghan foreign ministers)
As we all know, Argentina and Britain have been fighting for sovereignty over the Falklands, and the two countries even fought a brief but famous "Falklands War" in 1982, in which Argentina surrendered and threw in the towel because of the gap in strength. In recent years, Argentina and the United Kingdom have become increasingly tough on the sovereignty of the Falklands for a number of reasons.
Argentina, for its part, has been in a continuous recession in recent years, and in 2020 it declared that it was unable to repay the national debt. In 2022, Argentina's annual inflation reached 94.8%, the national poverty rate exceeded 36%, and the extreme poverty rate reached 8.8%. It can be said that Argentina is suffering from a serious economic crisis.
In the eyes of many Argentines, this economic situation is precisely because of the shameless exploitation of third world countries by the Anglo-Saxon Empire led by the United States and Britain.
In order to comply with domestic public opinion, fulfill the political mission of successive governments, and in order to divert domestic contradictions, it is not surprising that the Argentines will once again claim sovereignty over the island.
(Soaring prices in Argentina)
The British side has more considerations.
First of all, the Falklands itself has important value. Its geographical location is very superior, it is an important sea passage connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and it has the reputation of "the key to opening the Pacific Ocean" in the maritime world; Moreover, the waters around the Falklands are rich in fishery resources and huge oil and gas reserves, which are very needed natural resources in the UK.
(Falklands Location)
Second, Argentina's own defense was not strong, so the British never took their request for the Falklands to heart.
Third, "sovereignty and territorial disputes" is the usual "mine-planting" trick used by the Anglo-Saxon people, and the India-Pakistan border, the China-India border, Serbia and Kosovo are all realistic cases of the West's attempt to use sovereignty to control third world countries, and the Falklands sovereignty issue is no exception. Moreover, with the decline of Britain's strength, the Falklands have become one of the only remaining symbols of the "glorious overseas colonial history" of the Sun Never Set Empire, and it is a psychological sustenance for the British to relive the "glory" of the past.
(British tourists in the Falklands)
Fourth, in recent years, China and Russia have repeatedly affirmed their support for Argentina's sovereignty over Soma. This has given Argentina the confidence to claim sovereignty over Soma Island and not be afraid to turn its face with Britain, but it has also made the British side seem to have the idea that "agreeing to make concessions to Argentina is to admit defeat to China and Russia", and naturally tougher on the issue of Falklands sovereignty.
Under the combination of various factors, Britain is not willing to take the initiative to give up the Falklands with extremely high strategic value.
(Jack of the United Kingdom) on the Falklands Island)
In the future, Argentina and the United Kingdom may engage in a protracted diplomatic and military game over the sovereignty of the Falklands, but as Europe and the United States enter economic recession and the world's geopolitical pattern has changed dramatically due to the struggle between China, Russia and the United States, Argentina once again claims sovereignty over the Falklands and faces great challenges for the UK.
At present, the UK, the domestic economy is declining, Northern Ireland and Scotland want to "leave the UK", and in international affairs, they closely follow the US military aid to Ukraine and suppress and contain China, which will greatly involve Britain's energy and consume Britain's strength. Therefore, if Argentina continues to firmly assert sovereignty over the Falklands, we cannot rule out that Britain will finally back down and sit at the negotiating table with Argentina after a long stalemate.