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US Challenges China's Influence Over Pacific Island Countries, But Does It Have Much to Offer?_我的网站
一 | "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."。
It centers on an ordinary Chinese chef caught in the crossfire of war. Shen Teng stars as Xu Fu, a cook who travels to the fictional Middle Eastern capital of Bahata to repay family debts. There he joins forces with restaurant manager Ma Junsheng (actor Jiang Qiming) to run a Chinese eatery. When conflict erupts, the self-preserving every-man endures personal losses and gradually comes to protect local children.
Produced by Ning Hao, the film continues Wen's signature focus on "little people," this time placing them far beyond China's borders.
In an interview with the Global Times, Wen talked about the project's connection to news reports of Chinese migrants who open restaurants overseas and forge quiet connections through food.
"Many Chinese people go abroad simply to make a living," he told the Global Times. "They open restaurants, use food to break down regional barriers, and form deep bonds with locals."
The production team conducted extensive research and location scouting in the Middle East to capture everyday details. Elements such as free-running single-humped camels required overseas shoots; the resulting images of open space after confinement, Wen noted, carry a simple sense of hope.
Food functions as the film's central motif.
"Food more often stands for happiness and peace," Wen explained. "Even in a war-torn environment, people still cannot do without three meals a day. That sounds basic, but after all the big things in life, what people care about most are the simplest things - eating a proper meal and taking care of family."
A specialized food unit developed the dishes, and Shen trained extensively so that most of the wok-tossing sequences were performed by the actor himself, Wen said.
The film deliberately intercuts kitchen routines with combat sequences.
"Three meals a day represent our longing for peaceful life, while war is the extreme act that destroys peaceful life on a large scale," Wen said. "When they collide, each becomes clearer: Food feels more ordered and full of happiness; war feels more chaotic and dark."
He hopes the juxtaposition helps audiences recognize how hard-won ordinary peace really is.
Xu Fu's decision to shelter orphans never relies on lofty rhetoric, only a meal and a roof. Wen described this approach as rooted in a human-centered outlook rather than classic Western hero narratives.
"We place more weight on humanism and the value of a person's existence. Our culture is about living well, studying well, eating well, and looking after children. No matter how large the events, three meals a day remain unavoidable. Food itself has warmth and can give people real strength when they are in a difficult situation," Wen said.
The director noted that he wants viewers to leave with the plainest conviction: live properly, eat properly, and cherish the peace that exists in the present.
On balancing personal expression with commercial reach, Wen kept his principle simple: "Make the film well and tell the story well. I try to put what I want to express into foreshadowing and details without hurting the viewing experience. If audiences notice those details, I will be glad. If they do not, it does not affect the normal narrative."
From Dying to Survive and Miracle: Stupid Kid to the new film, Wen's view of human complexity has remained consistent. "People have many different sides. They face different circumstances and make different choices."
The through-line, he added, is the same plain belief: "Being able to enjoy a proper meal is the greatest happiness."
Early audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. Advanced screenings delivered scores of 9.7-9.8 on major Chinese platforms including ticketing platform Maoyan.
Many entered expecting a light Shen Teng comedy and left in tears, describing the experience as "laughing then crying." Shen's restrained performance has drawn particular praise, with some calling it the strongest of his career. Jiang's supporting work has also been widely noted.
Moviegoers have frequently highlighted the film's refusal to deliver speeches. Its focus on daily meals and small acts of care lands more powerfully than any slogan.
On the depiction of the conflict, audiences observe that the movie offers a perspective that "flips the Hollywood script" by casting the US as the invader, while refusing to portray US soldiers as pure villains. Instead they appear as ordinary young men: loose in discipline and marked by the alienation of war.
Both Chinese and overseas viewers have singled out this measured approach as part of the film's distinctive Chinese viewpoint: It sidesteps both Western hero narratives and simple demonization. Some international comments note that by staying with ordinary lives rather than choosing geopolitical sides, the story offers a different lens on conflict.
One widely circulated comment from a popular Chinese self-media account on WeChat captured the film's ambition: "You can think of this film as a blend of Casablanca, Schindler's List, and The Shawshank Redemption, yet at its core lies the same grounded human compassion found in Dying to Survive. This is a highly successful attempt by Chinese filmmakers to surpass Hollywood. It is the first Chinese film that truly possesses a global vision and a professional sense of international storytelling. It is also a gift of warmth and goodwill from the Chinese people to a world still torn by war and cruelty."
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