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US Challenges China's Influence Over Pacific Island Countries, But Does It Have Much to Offer?_我的网站

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一 | 当彗星碎屑与我们的大气层相撞时，它们在转瞬即逝的瞬间燃烧起来，产生流星穿过天空。较大的或移动较慢的碎片可以燃烧成更大、更亮的火球。 "For decades now, the Pacific Ocean can be fairly described as an American lake, in which the US strategic presence is actively supported by the Australian and to a lesser extent New Zealand economic and security presence," says Joseph Camilleri, emeritus professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne.,However, with the People's Republic of China's (PRC) swift economic rise, it's hardly surprising that Beijing has started to explore new possibilities in the Pacific, according to the academic.,"What has particularly troubled the United States and its principal ally in the South Pacific, Australia, is the fact that China is making inroads into what was until now considered to be an exclusive American sphere of influence," he stresses.,On July 13, Vice President Kamala Harris told the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva in a virtual address that US funding for the region would be stepped up to $60 million per year for 10 years. The newly announced endeavor includes more funding for fisheries, extra aid, and offers of new US embassies in the Pacific. In particular, the US is set to ink renewed fishing treaties with Pacific island nations allowing US vessels to fish in their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), and offering greater support for maritime surveillance in the Pacific. In addition to that, the Peace Corps – the United States government's volunteer program – will return to four countries, including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu, according to CNN.,Australia Welcomes 'Renewed Commitment' From US Towards Pacific, Willing to Work With China11:38 GMT,"The timing of the pledge has much to do with the strategic competition between the United States and China," Camilleri explains. "In recent years, China has made considerable headway in developing its relations with [the Pacific Island Forum (PIF)] board, including cooperation in political, security and regional affairs, aid and development, COVID response and health, Ocean affairs and climate change, and much else.",The US attempt to assert its presence in the Pacific region also comes on the heels of the Quad IUU Fishing Initiative announced in late May, according to Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.,The leaders of the Quad nations — Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – proposed a maritime surveillance initiative to establish a tracking system to combat illegal, unregulated, and unprotected (IUU) fishing. The Quad endeavor may be viewed as an extension of earlier initiatives against China's fishing activities in the South Pacific, according to the academic.,"The South Pacific region is presently one of the richest and most active fishery areas in the world," he highlights.,Why Asia Won't Reject Russia's Hydrocarbons or China's Rare Earths Despite US PressureYesterday, 18:54 GMT,Even if Half of Pacific Islands Ink China Pact, It'll be Beijing's Win,Two months ago, Beijing offered a draft agreement between China and 10 island nations spanning policing, security, fisheries, data, and a free trade zone. Some Pacific leaders have agreed to consider China's trade and security pact, while the others have voiced concerns that their rapprochement with Beijing could antagonize Washington.,"The Chinese proposal to establish a China-Pacific Islands cooperation framework agreement may not yet have won sufficient support but I expect that the Chinese side will persist with its proposal, and that it may be happy to proceed with it, even if only five or six Island states are prepared to sing such an agreement," says Camilleri.,Prior to that, in mid-April, the Chinese and the Solomon Islands governments formally signed a bilateral security agreement regardless of the displeasure voiced by the US, Australia, and New Zealand. Commenting on the pact on June 3, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi underscored that its purpose is "to assist the Solomon Islands in maintaining social order." He vehemently denied Western media speculation about China's apparent plans to beef up its military presence in the region.,"China has come to the South Pacific region to build roads and bridges and improve the people’s lives, not to station troops or build military bases," Wang highlighted.,© MANDEL NGANUS President Joe Biden meets with China's President Xi Jinping during a virtual summit from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, November 15, 2021. US President Joe Biden meets with China's President Xi Jinping during a virtual summit from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, November 15, 2021. © MANDEL NGAN,US-China Competition for Pacific Islands Region Will Intensify,As the US and China's competition for the resource-rich region unfolds, it all depends on what Washington and Beijing can offer to Pacific island nations, according to Camilleri.,"It is doubtful that the paltry sum of $60 million offered by the United States can even begin to match what China is offering, or that it will greatly impress the Pacific Islands States meeting in Fiji," the professor suggests.,Furthermore, China has made substantial progress in building trade relations with the countries of the region as well as in establishing diplomatic ties with the PIF. The People's Republic was first invited to attend the PIF-related Talk on Establishing Dialogue Partnership held in Suva, Fiji, in 1988. Since 1990, China has attended the Post-Forum Dialogue meetings on a regular basis. In 2003, China announced its willingness to further expand economic ties with PIF member countries as well as to provide funding for the forum's secretariat.,"According to official Chinese figures, from 1992 to 2021, total trade volume between China and Pacific Island Countries (PICs) having diplomatic relations with China grew from $153 million to $5.3 billion, registering an average annual increase of 13% and expanding by over 30 times in 30 years. Similarly, by the end of 2021, China’s direct investment in PICs having diplomatic relations with China had reached $2.72 billion," says Camilleri.,The competition between the United States and its allies on the one hand and China on the other will, if anything, gather pace and intensity in the years to come, the professor says, adding that Beijing's advantage is that "it comes to the table with a much bigger checkbook, and greater opportunities for trade and investment, especially in infrastructure projects."。

二 | 2022年的猎户座流星群将在美国东部时间10月20日（周四）晚上到第二天早上达到高峰。美国流星协会预测，在理想的条件下，天空观察者每小时可以捕捉到15到20颗流星，但有时流星雨的爆发会让人惊讶，是这个数字的三倍。美国流星协会的Bob Lunsford在为AMS撰写的一篇博文中解释说：“看到这些流星的最佳时间是在凌晨1点到黎明（当地时间）。

三 | 在活动最频繁的时候，这些流星的源头就在猎户座的微弱‘俱乐部’的东边。这个位置也位于被称为参宿四（猎户座α）的明亮橙色恒星的东北方向约10度。10度相当于一个人手臂伸直时的拳头。

四 | ”如果你出去寻找猎户座流星雨，你可以尝试遵循Lunsford的提示，或者通过使用Stellarium等应用程序定位猎户座来走捷径。把星座放在你视野的中心，将有助于最大限度地体验，但任何对夜空有适当的宽阔视野的人都会有很好的机会捕捉到这些流星。今年是一个高于平均水平的年份，可以在高峰夜发现猎户座流星雨，这是因为月亮在猎户座的另一侧天空中是一个相当暗的新月。这意味着它不会像更亮的时候那样影响很多微弱的流星，但是你总是可以通过把微弱的月亮放在你的背后或者尽可能远离你的视线中心来最大化你的情况。作为奖励，猎户座流星群并不是本周唯一活跃的流星雨。持续时间长的金牛座流星雨和一些小的流星雨也可能每小时贡献几颗流星。金牛座流星雨的移动速度明显较慢，这意味着它们可以产生更多明亮的火球。所有这些加起来就是一年中最适合欣赏天空中小火的夜晚之一。唯一不能真正控制或考虑的因素是你所在地区的云层。如果天气好的话，尽可能远离光污染，到一个视野开阔的地方，躺在休闲椅或毯子上，享受夜空中的美景。给自己至少一个小时的观看时间，包括让你的眼睛适应黑暗的时间。