Since the reform and opening up, China has gradually transformed from a closed economy to an export-oriented economy. Actively seek to integrate into the global economic and trade system and go to the world. After “the Belt and Road" initiative was put forward, China was further transformed into an internal and external circular economy. Both domestic and foreign markets are crucial to China, and this puts new demands on how to defend them.
With the continuous improvement of national strength, we should build a strategic situation in favor of ourselves in the Western Pacific and South Pacific regions. It has also become an important issue of China's national security. At the same time, China's actions have provoked a strong reaction from the United States, which regards the Pacific Ocean as its own swimming pool. There are also countries in the Western Pacific region that hope to take advantage of the mentality of the United States and voluntarily tie up the chariot of the United States.
The core of the geopolitical contradiction between the Western Pacific and the South Pacific is undoubtedly the escalating confrontation between China and the United States. By virtue of its military and economic advantages, the United States, through the”freedom of navigation" operation or the”island chain strategy," has mobilized the allied system. Actively adopt an offensive strategy against China.
Since the Trump administration took office in January 2025, the containment of China by the United States has reached a new level. In the Western Pacific region, it is reflected in strengthening the first island chain and encouraging allies to rush to the front line, such as the Philippines in the South China Sea. At the same time, the US side also regards Taiwan as a pre-set battlefield for a decisive battle, hoping to draw China into a protracted war.
In the South Pacific region, Australia and New Zealand, both members of the Five Eyes Alliance, have given considerable support to the United States. Even if it is publicly reported, it can be seen that the two countries have participated in many close reconnaissance of China. It can be said that the United States will inevitably use Australia and New Zealand as an important reserve base to maintain pressure on China.
More importantly, the Trump administration has begun to rearm Japan. From the political and military point of view, the restrictions on Japan should be completely relaxed. It is hoped that it will play an important role in wartime, that is, not as a logistics base, but as a forward offensive base. The recent positive interaction between the two has also released a signal to call back the soul of Japanese militarism.
Faced with this situation, China has obviously chosen to strengthen its presence in the Western and South Pacific regions. There is not only a show of force, but also political and economic measures to cooperate closely with other countries in the region. The basic idea of China's strategy of disintegrating the island chain can be summed up as”fighting on exterior lines"; According to Mao Zedong's military thought, it can also be called”you fight yours, I fight mine". Specifically, it breaks the narrative logic of the United States to its allies and strengthens the force deterrence to its allies. In recent years, the Chinese side has changed its previous euphemistic attitude and delivered military forces directly to the target area, and has achieved special results.
One. South Pacific regional game
The South Pacific region can be classified as the second or third island chain in terms of geopolitics. Apart from the two well-known countries of Australia and New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia Archipelago. Countries in the region are characterized by a small population, a large number of islands and a vast area of sea.
Because of the Western colonial era, European countries, especially Britain, have extensive contacts with the South Pacific countries. Among them, there are a large number of Commonwealth members. Therefore, it is obvious that China needs to communicate with European countries to break through the blockade of the US island chain. In fact, the indiscriminate external pressure and coercion since the Trump administration came to power is conducive to China's persuasion of relevant countries. Before China takes action, cross-border coordination is necessary.
As early as January 26, 2025, The Guardian reported that. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the FCDO is working on a reception plan for mid-February.
China and Britain also held high-level talks as scheduled in February 2025. According to a press release issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 14, the Chinese Foreign Minister was in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, on February 13 Wang Yi. Met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary Lamy, Jonathan Nicholas Powell, National Security Adviser to the British Prime Minister and Convenor of the National Security CouncilPowell。 The two sides exchanged views on relevant issues and decided to further enhance cooperation.
Although communication with foreign stakeholders is necessary, practical and effective measures are still needed to go to the South Pacific region. The subsequent escalation of bilateral relations between China and the Cook Islands shows how China uses soft power to expand its strategic space.
The Cook Islands Prime Minister's Office (Office of the Prime Minister Cook Islands) issued a statement on February 5. Mark Brown, the country's prime minister, paid a state visit to China from February 10 to 14. At the invitation of the Chinese Government, Prime Minister Brown will visit China together with senior officials.
The prime minister is also well versed in the balance of international relations.”The Cook Islands remains committed to building strong relationships with all our partners," he stressed. The statement also mentioned that, the two governments will agree to develop A Joint Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic PartnershipStrategic Partnership.
During his visit to China, the Prime Minister's Office of the Cook Islands has also issued statements. In a February 12 announcement, Prime Minister Brown said, I want to assure our people that each dialogue was guided by what was best for the Cook Islands.” Respecting the national interests of South Pacific countries is the basic principle of China's activities in the South Pacific region.”.
According to a report by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 14, during the day's activities, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met in Harbin with Cook Islands Prime Minister Brown, who came to China to attend the closing ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games. Li Qiang said that China insists on the equality of all countries, big and small. We firmly support the people of the Cook Islands in independently choosing a development path suited to their own national conditions, and are willing to deepen political mutual trust with the Cook Islands. Expand practical cooperation.
In the announcement of the Cook Islands Prime Minister's Office on the same day, Prime Minister Brown said, I had a very positive discussion with Prime Minister Li Qiang. And signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Action Plan. According to the announcement, the agreement provides for trade and investment, tourism, marine science, aquaculture, agriculture, infrastructure (including transportation), climate and climate change, develop structural frameworks in the areas of stress, disaster preparedness, creative industries, technology and innovation, education and scholarship, and people-to-people exchanges.
Of course, Prime Minister Brown is also aware of the possible uneasiness of neighboring countries. So he said in the announcement,”Our relationship and engagement with China complements our long-standing relationships with New Zealand and various other bilateral, regional and multilateral partners.”, rather than replacing those relationships-just as China, New Zealand and all other countries have forged relationships with various partners.”In other words, the Cook Islands serves its own national interests and does not intend to upset neighboring countries.”.
Two. Force deterrence against Australia and New Zealand
Although China is openly active in the South Pacific region, including the Cook Islands, but Australia and New Zealand, which have always regarded the South Pacific region as a forbidden area, apparently did not buy it. According to the New Zealand Post on February 19, 2025, Winston Peters, New Zealand's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said, in a speech at the Pacific Political Conference on Wednesday afternoon (February 19), there are 60 years of free association and the current diplomatic rift needs to”reset government to government”.
In his speech, Peters said New Zealand wanted to”formally redefine our mutual responsibilities and obligations to each other.”And the global parameters and constraints of the free association model.”As of this evening, people in New Zealand and the Cook Islands are still in the dark," he said of the bilateral agreement. In addition to an agreement signed last week between China and the Cook Islands.
In order to avoid miscalculation, China also invited New Zealand Foreign Minister Peters to visit China from February 25 to 27 on February 20. However, simple diplomatic etiquette cannot replace the deterrent force of actual action. According to Reuters on February 22, the Chinese Navy held a live-fire exercise on the high seas between Australia and New Zealand from February 21 to 22. Obviously, China does not want anyone to have too many other ideas about normal international exchanges.
Another purpose of this exercise is to deter Australia. According to a Feb. 13 announcement by the Australian Government Department of Defence, the Australian army found that the Chinese naval formation appeared in the northeast of Australia. They are the”Hengyang" frigate, the”Zunyi" frigate and the”Weishanhu" supply ship.
It is clear that the Chinese naval formation has plans to sail around the Australian mainland. According to the Financial Times on February 19, the Australian Navy tracked the formation 150 nautical miles off Sydney. It is worth mentioning that, at that time, Admiral Samuel Paparo (Admiral Samuel Paparo), commander of the US Indian Pacific Command, was visiting Australia. He met with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong. And met with Vice-Admiral Justin Jones, the head of joint operations.
However, the Chinese Navy's ocean-going maneuvers are not just aimed at Australia and New Zealand. To put it more bluntly, the United States is the one that needs to accept the message.
Three. American Active Activities in the Western Pacific
US nuclear submarines have been deployed to Australia. The USS Minnesota, a Virginia-class attack submarine, was spotted off the coast of Western Australia, Reuters reported on March 17. Australia said that by mid-2025, about 50-80 U. S. Navy personnel will arrive at HMAS Stirling Base in Western Australia. The base is undergoing a $5 billion upgrade. Two years later, hundreds of U. S. Navy personnel and support personnel will arrive.
Chinese naval formations sailed around Australia in February and March, passing through Western Australia, according to Australian officials. Coincides with the port call of the USS Minnesota.
Under the AUKUS agreement for China, Australia will buy two second-hand Virginia-class submarines in the next decade. And build a new nuclear-powered submarine with Britain. US Navy officials say 115 Australians are being trained in the US Nuclear Navy Training Pipeline or on Virginia submarines. Another 130 Australians were trained in nuclear submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Of course, the United States has not only deployed nuclear submarines in Australia, but also encouraged the Philippines to rush to the front line of confrontation in the South China Sea. According to a press release issued by the US Department of Defense on March 28, Hegseth announced at a joint press conference held in Manila on the same day that. The United States and the Philippines rebuild military deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Hegseth said that the two sides should not only maintain the status quo, but also”accelerate the progress of the US-Philippine alliance". Hegseth also said that in response to China's”aggression" in the Indo-Pacific region, the US-Philippine alliance should”show strength".”What we seek is not war, but peace," he said. But those who want peace must be prepared for war, and (the United States and the Philippines) must be United.”In other words, the United States is determined to encourage the Philippines and China to confront each other in the South China Sea.”.
As an important part of building the first island chain to contain China, Japan will obviously not be left behind. What is alarming is that on 27 March, the US Department of Defense published an article entitled”Remembering the Battle of Okinawa;"; Lessons for Future Battles (Remembering the Battle of Okinawa; Lessons Learned for Future Fights), in addition to reviewing the Okinawa campaign, it also specifically mentioned the need to launch a naval and air war with China in the Taiwan Strait.
Quoting Christopher L. Kolakowski (Christopher L.). Kolakowski's article”Okinawa 1945 and Lessons for the Island Campaign" published on May 8, 2024Island Battles. The author believes that some of the lessons learned from this battle can be applied to possible future operations in the Taiwan Strait. Combat would involve aircraft and missile attacks on surface ships and a race to establish and maintain air superiority. With modern weapons, Kolakowski said, operations must cover a battlefield at least as vast as Operation Iceberg, or even larger. The expanded battlefield will undoubtedly affect American bases in the Indian Pacific region. Including Okinawa, Guam, South Korea, the Philippines and mainland Japan. The implication is that the US military plans to make the entire Western Pacific region a battlefield in the event of a war in the Taiwan Strait.
On March 29, Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth traveled to Iwo Jima to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II with senior Japanese officials.”I am honored to make a pilgrimage-there is no other way to express it-to this sacred land," he said. To remember them forever, we recommit ourselves to our faith and belief in our alliance and in peace.”Obviously, the Japanese invaders in World War II did not have any belief in peace." Hegseth's remarks can be regarded as calling back the soul of Japanese militarism.
Hegseth's later words were more provocative.” We are here today because we have not forgotten," he said. The honor and valor of our Japanese and American servicemen,"The Battle of Iwo Jima was a demonstration of our common samurai spirit, our common loyalty to country and duty, and our loyalty to those who came before us.” The warriors have a common respect. His warrior ethos might be better described as” Bushido". In Hegseth's mouth, the fascist army was transformed into a noble existence.
On The same day as Hegseth's speech, The Washington Post reported thatAccording to a leaked secret internal guidance memo, Hegseth describes a potential invasion of Taiwan as the only dynamic scenario that must take precedence over other potential dangers — the need to put the main American force into the Indo-Pacific region.” China is the only imminent threat to the sector," Hegseth wrote. Preventing China's fait accompli seizure of Taiwan while defending the US mainland is the only urgent scenario for the department.” Part of the memo is similar to a longer report from the Heritage Foundation in 2024.” Some are identical).
Obviously, Hegseth's subsequent performance in Japan proved this point. According to the Financial Times on March 30, the United States has begun to upgrade its military forces in Japan to set up a “combat" headquarters. In order to form a stronger deterrent to China. He and Gen Nakatani, Japan's defense minister, "The US-led peace through strength is back," Nakatani said at a joint news conference.” President Trump also made it clear that.” We will put America first. But America first does not mean that the United States is fighting alone.” American soldiers fight side by side with their Japanese Self-Defense Force colleagues every day.” Hegseth added:" The job of our Defense Department and our military friends is to build such a strong alliance. Make the reality and perception of deterrence real and persistent, so that the Chinese Communist Party will not take aggressive actions that some people have considered.
Hegseth's provocative remarks are more than that. According to Reuters on the same day, Hegseth also said at the press conference:” We share the samurai spirit.” This is also the symbol of our army,”and" Japan is our indispensable partner in containing the military aggression of Communist China.” Including preventing China from reunifying Taiwan. To let Japan, which has colonized Taiwan for 50 years, prevent China's reunification is already rubbing salt on the historical scars of the Chinese nation.
Four. Operations in the Western Pacific Region
In the face of the blockade of the Chinese island chain constructed by the United States and the provocations of Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Philippines, the priority of any means of economic and trade cooperation. It must give way to force deterrence. Some people, represented by Hegseth, tend to think that China will always choose to compromise, so a head-on attack is the best way.
At the same time, in the face of the Cook Islands, a country in the Western or South Pacific region that really needs help, on the premise of respecting each other, China should continue to provide sufficient economic and trade cooperation programs and actively raise the level of bilateral exchanges. This, in turn, is the purpose of the” the Belt and Road" initiative.
In addition, there is no need to worry too much about the island chain strategy of the United States. On April 2, 2025, the Trump Administration launched a comprehensive tariff war against the world on the so-called” Liberation Day". Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the Philippines mentioned above have not been spared. If they choose to compromise with the United States and continue to be tough with China, it may be before the value is completely exhausted. It was harvested by the United States in advance. The United States, which has lost its allies, is completely unable to blockade China.
Under the circumstances of the Trump administration's active construction of a blockade against China, China's actions in the Western and South Pacific regions, it is also possible not to need too much consideration of morality, and everything is based on the premise of increasing lethality. China's huge industrial potential is not just for trade.
