EU seeks to strengthen contact with the Pacific region

Following the United States and Australia, the EU has also tried to further strengthen its influence in the South Pacific Island. The EU Ambassador to Pacific Island State, Sim, said in an interview with the media on the 16th that with the intensification of geopolitical competition in the region, the European Union was trying to strengthen its existence in the Pacific through economic connection and new security commitments.

In an interview with Reuters during his visit to New Zealand in September 2019, he said that the European Union has been regarded as a development partner in the Pacific for a long time, and it also hopes to be regarded as economic and strategic partners. Sim said: "The importance of the Pacific Geographic has been recognized by everyone, including the European Union."

Reuters mentioned in the report that Sim's above remarks were issued on the occasion of the influence of the big country for the influence of the South Tai area. After signing a new security cooperation framework agreement with the Solomon Islands this year, the United States and Australia have strengthened their contact in the Pacific. Earlier, the EU existed for a long time in the Pacific region, mainly through the relationship between France and French Polynesia.

Sim said that there are several development projects in the Pacific region and are studying more projects. The European Union is finalizing a plan to conduct a feasibility study of establishing a dock in Kiritimiti, Kiribas. In September last year, the European Union announced its "EU India -Pacific Cooperation Strategy" and set up a 300 billion euro global infrastructure fund. Sim said it would help promote the relationship between the two parties.

In the interview, Sim declared, "We have always said that our position in the area is not targeted at anyone. We are not here to curb China." However, Reuters pointed out that when countries decide to cooperate with, what is important is that they want them to want Evaluate, for example, whether these countries are accepting development assistance and loans.

Although claiming not to "curb China", Sim still mentioned the so -called "debt trap" that has been speculated by the West for a long time. He criticized that "most of the aid from China is actually ... Debt fragility ". Sim claims that part of the strategy of enhancing the EU in the Pacific is to provide economic opportunities. The EU has reached some trading partnerships with the Pacific Island government and is negotiating with Tonga to make a similar agreement to make it better. Enter the European market.

According to Sim, the European Union also plans to strengthen its footprints in maritime surveillance in the Indo -Pacific region. Earlier, the French army had permanent military assets in the region, and these assets were used to support the EU projects.

Chen Hong, director of the Australian Research Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times reporter on the 17th that Australia, the United States, and the European Union are turning the South Pacific region into a platform for geographical strategic competition together, adding a strong layer of political politics to the region in the area The atmosphere, which runs counter to the willingness of peace and development in the South Pacific country. Chen Hong analyzed that Europe itself and the Pacific are not too direct. Today, the European Union shows obvious willingness to participate in the "Indo -Pacific Strategy" in the United States, which has increased the instability of the region.

Chen Hong said that in contrast, the cooperation between China and the South Pacific Island country is open and transparent, and it is open to the three parties. And the so -called "debt trap" is just the old talk of Western countries, and they have never cited a real example. The purpose is only by creating a lie to fool some countries.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the media after the end of the South Pacific trip to the media that China has no intention of competing with who to compete with who is interested in. China respects the various connections that island countries have established with other countries. China is willing to continue to have an open attitude, according to the wishes of the island nation, with the Australia and New South Pacific regions to carry out more three or four parties in the South Pacific region to play their respective advantages and form a greater joint force. ▲

Reporter Zhao Jueyi

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