In recent years, China has strengthened cooperation with countries in the South Pacific region, mainly by providing assistance and jointly building infrastructure projects to improve the local economic level. However, the United States, Japan, Australia, etc., which had previously turned a blind eye to the South Pacific countries, immediately began to increase their actions in the South Pacific region after seeing that China began to have ties with the South Pacific countries. First, Australia hosted the South Pacific Summit to "set the rules" for everyone. Later, when the United States, Japan, India and Australia opened the "Four Congresses" in Japan, they also took the South Pacific as a focus, saying that they would increase infrastructure in the region, build submarine cables, and develop 5G telecommunications.
The flag of Palau is more similar to Japan
Among them, Palau was selected as the "pilot country". Not long ago, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also made a special visit to South Pacific countries and signed a "defense agreement" with Palau, saying that he would provide security guarantees for Palau. Against this backdrop, Palau immediately began to talk about China. Among them, I am afraid that there are traces of US operations.
According to the Observer Network, Palau's president recently announced that Chinese ships have recently entered its exclusive economic zone and Palau has asked the United States to step up patrols in its waters.
In this regard, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that Chinese ships took shelter in relevant waters and did not carry out any marine survey and investigation activities, and informed relevant countries about this. China has always strictly required its vessels to exercise their right to freedom of navigation and carry out scientific research activities in accordance with the law. Wang Wenbin also emphasized a point of view, China believes that security cooperation between countries should not target third parties.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin
From the Chinese response, we can learn three points.
First, Chinese vessels have indeed entered Palau's waters, but mainly by accident, in order to avoid the wind; Second, during the shelter period, China did not carry out any activities related to surveys, and also notified relevant countries; Third, if Palau is not clear about anything, it can negotiate directly with the Chinese side, rather than moving the United States out to "demonstrate", Palau has a security agreement with the United States, but it is better not to target a third party.
It can be said that China's response is very frank and objective. Whether it is Palau or the United States, it should no longer be made out of nothing.
Perhaps, many people do not know Palau as a country, because on the map, it is not easy to find. The country is one of the South Pacific island nations, with a land area of only 459 square kilometers and a population of less than 20,000 people, located in the southeastern Philippines, only 1,300 kilometers from Guam. It is worth noting that Palau is not poor, and its per capita GDP even reaches $16,000, which is a proper developed country.
Palau Location
Palau's national policy has always been to be followed by the United States and to be close to Japan, for example, its flag is almost the same as Japan's, except that the color of the sun in the middle is yellow. Another noteworthy information is that Palau is a so-called "country with diplomatic relations" of the Taiwan authorities, and it is easy to understand the trouble of finding Chinese mainland under the superposition of various backgrounds.
The friendship between China and the South Pacific island countries can be described as having a long history. Last year, then Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also visited Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and other South Pacific countries, and presided over the China-Pacific Islands Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
Interestingly, after China signed the framework agreement on security cooperation with Solomon, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other countries immediately came to pressure Solomon, believing that the agreement "posed a threat" to the South Pacific and hoped that Solomon would withdraw.
After the signing of the security agreement, the US military can move freely on the territory of Palau
After that, the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries fabricated the so-called "China threat theory" while increasing targeted deployment in the South Pacific region. The aim is to prevent China's influence from expanding into the South Pacific. However, the United States only uses the South Pacific countries as pawns, and would rather keep the South Pacific countries poor than want China to cooperate with them to improve local living standards.
Unlike other countries in the South Pacific, a country like Palau is a minority in the South Pacific region, and its pro-American and pro-Japanese background is because its leaders are of Japanese descent. Of course, whether you cooperate with China or not, if you want to use the United States as an "arrow" to pressure China, China may not care.