【Text by Observers Network, Liu Chenghui】 Australian officials who have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with China's cooperation with Pacific Island countries have now found a new angle.

According to a June 29 report by the UK's The Guardian, Australia's Minister for Pacific Affairs, Pat Conroy, claimed that China "brands" multilateral development projects to enhance its influence in the region, which has become a major "trouble" for the Australian government. This official complained that China "brands" Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects with Chinese labels and "everywhere are Chinese company logos," even though Australia has also contributed a lot of money.

In fact, why to cooperate with China, an island country official said clearly: concerns about China are merely incited by Western media, and some Western "traditional partners" offer extremely limited choices, while China provides new opportunities for cooperation.

The report stated that in Bougainville Island, located north of Australia, the Chinese state-owned enterprise China Railway Construction Corporation has started reinforcing the runway of the Kira Kira-Aroa Airport. However, when the Bougainville government announced the airport upgrade project, it did not mention the funding source, the Asian Development Bank, but only mentioned the Chinese enterprise.

Last month, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the airport runway, the leader of the Bougainville Autonomous Region and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea wore safety helmets with the name and logo of China Railway Construction Corporation, and used shovels to break ground. In the background, only one Asian Development Bank logo was visible.

Bougainville Airport renovation project launch Bougainville Government website

Conroy said that China's "branding" of multilateral development projects has always been a major "trouble" for the Australian government.

"This is not Chinese aid. Chinese companies won the bid under the ADB framework... this project is funded by the ADB."

"The largest contributors to the ADB are Japan and Australia, which is exactly why I feel frustrated... because people passing by might mistakenly think it's Chinese funding, because everywhere there are Chinese state-owned enterprise logos. But actually, these projects are funded by Japanese and Australian taxpayers."

Conroy also said he had lobbied the ADB to improve its procurement process. "Ensure quality-oriented rather than lowest price bidding," and limit the "branding" of the projects. The ADB is said to have agreed to corresponding reforms.

Ultimately, this Australian official is still worrying about the old topic, that is, "Chinese influence."

When asked whether he thought China was expanding its influence through multilateral institutions like the ADB, Conroy told The Guardian, "I think this conclusion is reasonable." "I believe they also hope to benefit from it, but if they can label the projects with (state-owned enterprises), it obviously brings additional political dividends."

He continued, "We have clearly stated that the Pacific region is always in a competition for influence, and Australia hopes to be the preferred partner for every Pacific country, while China is also trying to play a role in this region."

In fact, Conroy's rhetoric is not new in Western countries in recent years. Projects that were originally aimed at improving local development and well-being have repeatedly been turned into a stage for geopolitical confrontation.

The Bougainville Autonomous Region passed a referendum on independence in 2019, and is expected to officially become independent no later than 2027.

Regarding this issue, a "Project 2025" document released by the American conservative think tank "Heritage Foundation" pointed out that Bougainville's independence is an important opportunity for the United States in the geostrategic context: the United States must seize this opportunity, otherwise it will face the risk of losing the initiative in this key region of the Indo-Pacific to China, which could completely change the balance of power and influence in the region.

Oliver Nobetau, head of the Australia-Papua New Guinea network program at the Lowy Institute in Australia, also exaggerated the strategic value of Bougainville: "It is right next to the Solomon Islands, almost in the center of the Pacific." "For the US, Australia, and even China, the next question is: Who will Bougainville seek assistance from? Because they certainly cannot achieve independence on their own."

However, Patrick Nisira, Vice President of the Bougainville Autonomous Region, said that concerns about China's influence are stirred up by "Western media skepticism."

"For the past 20 years, traditional development partners have offered extremely limited options; the time for Bougainville to achieve autonomy is urgent... and now Chinese companies are proposing cooperation in these areas. For our people, these opportunities are worth serious consideration."

Despite this, the noise created by Western politicians has not affected China's deepening cooperation with South Pacific countries.

On May 29, the third ministerial meeting between China and the Pacific Island countries that have established diplomatic relations was successfully concluded in Xiamen, Fujian, sending a strong message of win-win cooperation.

"Such a ministerial-level meeting may be one of the most important activities for South Pacific countries outside the region. China can give them a lot, while Australia and the US cannot." According to Artyom Garin, an expert at the Center for Southeast Asia, Australia, and Oceania at the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Oriental Studies, for South Pacific countries, China is different from the US, it is a global stable security island, an understandable, predictable, and committed country for mutual cooperation.

Garin emphasized that during the meeting, China would not "interfere" with how the Oceania countries act. Instead, China would propose some practical cooperation initiatives to jointly promote economic development and humanitarian projects. For these countries, discussing matters with China is very important, facing the US's tariff pressures.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7521544038999163411/

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