Reuters-Solomon Islands leader says he skipped Biden summit to avoid lecture
September 27, 2023 2 min 319 words
这则报道揭示了所罗门群岛总理曼纳塞·索加瓦雷因避免被"讲课"和国内紧迫问题而缺席拜登总统主持的太平洋岛国领导人峰会。索加瓦雷表示，他与中国建立了密切的关系，因此在美国出席联合国大会后，他未参加了在华盛顿举行的为期两天的太平洋岛国论坛峰会。这一峰会是拜登政府对抗中国在战略上关键地区扩张的魅力攻势的一部分。 索加瓦雷的话语凸显了美国在这些地区领导人中的一些外交手法，可能过于"说教"，而不注重实际行动和合作。他指出上一次的峰会并未取得实质性进展，这种感受可能不仅仅是所罗门群岛一个国家的问题，也可能是其他太平洋岛国的共鸣。 不过，这也凸显了地区领导人之间的分歧，例如巴布亚新几内亚总理詹姆斯·马拉佩表态认为这次峰会为地区带来了重大基础设施投资承诺，有助于太平洋地区更加安全和繁荣。这种分歧表明了中国与美国之间在太平洋地区的竞争，以及地区领导人在权衡中的角色。 总的来说，这则报道突显了太平洋地区的复杂外交格局，以及美国和中国在该地区的竞争。索加瓦雷的决定反映出一种更倾向于中国的政策，而其他领导人则更看重美国的承诺和投资。这一情况对太平洋地区的地缘政治格局具有重要影响，需要继续关注其进展。
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said he skipped a Pacific Islands leaders summit at the White House this week to avoid a "lecture" and because he had more pressing issues at home.
Sogavare, who has built close ties with China, held a press conference on Wednesday after arriving back in Solomon Islands from the United States, where he spoke at the United Nations but did not join other Pacific Island Forum leaders in Washington for a two-day summit.
U.S. President Joe Biden met the Pacific island leaders for a second White House summit in just over a year on Monday, part of a charm offensive aimed at curbing inroads by China into a region Washington considers strategically crucial.
Sogavare said he attended the first summit last year and "nothing came out of it".
"They lecture you about how good they are", he said, according to a video of the press conference published by Solomon Islands media company Tavuli News on Wednesday evening.
A Biden Administration official said on Sunday they were "disappointed" Sogavare would not attend.
Sogavare said he returned because there were 10 weeks left of parliament at home in Solomon Islands, which was more important.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said in a statement on Wednesday the summit had seen the U.S. make a significant pledge for infrastructure investment, and the meeting was a "significant step towards making the Pacific more secure and prosperous".
Biden pledged to work with Congress to provide $200 million more in funding for projects in the region aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change, spurring economic growth, countering illegal fishing and improving public health.
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sogavare had praised China's development cooperation as "less restrictive".