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."。 AI摘要 七夕当日，厦门全市280余对新人登记结婚，其中思明区91对、湖里区43对，6对新人在同安滨海浪漫线婚姻登记点——全市首个滨海公园式婚登点领证。
二 | 新人在湖里区婚姻登记处幸福领证。 滨海浪漫线婚姻登记点门牌号是520，让新人惊喜。 厦门网讯（厦门晚报记者 汪燕妮 匡惟 吴笛 实习生 尤佳怡）昨天是七夕，不少新人选择在这个寓意爱情的日子里登记结婚。据统计，昨天，全市共有280多对新人领证，其中思明区政务服务中心婚姻登记处91对、湖里区婚姻登记处43对。
三 | 6对新人选择在我市首个滨海公园式婚姻登记点——同安区滨海浪漫线婚姻登记点领证。 思明区 结婚纪念日 定在七夕很美好 昨天上午，“90后”叶先生和阙女士来到思明区政务服务中心。阙女士头戴雪白头纱，手捧一束精致花束。她说，这束花并非购自花店，而是丈夫昨晚亲手制作的。“他很细心，想给结婚登记增添仪式感，便在网上搜索攻略，琢磨着怎么把这份心意做得更特别。”阙女士言语间满是幸福。 谈恋爱一年、刚订婚不久的两人，为何挑选七夕作为领证日？“我觉得把七夕作为结婚纪念日很美好。
四 | ”叶先生说，此前他将全部精力放在工作上，成家后，他会将部分精力分给家庭，“好好经营我们的小家”。 陈先生和尧女士是家里长辈介绍认识的，他们在6月份拍了婚纱照，决定在七夕登记结婚。
五 | 这对新人走的是简单路线，尧女士随身带着一台相机和一束鲜花，记录这个属于两人的重要时刻，陈先生表示“简单一点就好”。 这种淡然里藏着爱的承诺。
六 | 尧女士说，以后两人会一起好好过日子。
七 | 陈先生也表示，结婚之后，会相互体谅、相互支持，一起承担起家庭责任。 湖里区 泉州小情侣 在厦门办人生大事 昨天的湖里区婚姻登记处，被甜蜜氛围包裹，新人们排起长队。前来办理结婚登记的新人是平日的近三倍，他们希望在传统佳节的见证下，开启属于两个人的全新生活。 1998年出生的泉州小伙黄剑宏和2002年出生的重庆姑娘陈明容，有着一段奇妙缘分。两人相遇于泉州的一家餐厅，最初加微信是出于工作对接需要，加上好友之后，一来二去互生好感，用陈明容的话说就是“纯看对眼了”，没有正式的表白，感情自然而然地升温。 选择七夕这天领证，算得上是一个“巧合”——刚好陈明容的弟弟生日就是七夕，加上七夕作为纪念日更方便记忆，小两口商量之后一拍即合，决定七夕领证。 这对生活在泉州的小情侣原本没打算来厦门领证的，这次来厦门拍婚纱照，前一天在中山路拍完，考虑到第二天是七夕，他们临时调整行程，直接在厦门把领证这件人生大事一起办了。 陈明容来厦门找朋友玩过几次，不过还有很多没吃的美食没玩的景点。她说，还没去过的鼓浪屿要找机会逛一逛，之前只在泉州吃过沙茶面，也要尝尝厦门本地版本的味道。 滨海浪漫线 家就在附近 散步就能看到领证点 昨天是同安区滨海浪漫线婚姻登记点启用后的首个七夕。当天上午，6对新人在这个面朝大海的浪漫之地许下一生承诺，同安区民政局相关领导到场为他们集体证婚。 该登记点于8月16日投用，将碧海蓝天的滨海风光与婚姻登记政务服务相结合，打造户外公园式婚姻登记空间。值得一提的是，登记点门牌号是“520号”，这份巧思让不少新人倍感惊喜。
八 | 新人勾先生和陈小姐向记者分享了他们的甜蜜故事。两人都是外地人，如今在厦门工作、生活。两人本就选定在七夕领证，得知滨海浪漫线有了婚姻登记点，赶紧网上预约，终于如愿领证。 勾先生说，他和妻子就住在附近，常来滨海浪漫线散步。昨天他悄悄订了花，今天早上才让妻子知道，“除了鲜花，我今天还准备了一顿大餐，还有一份结婚礼物晚上揭晓。”一天三个惊喜让一旁的陈女士满脸幸福。当被问及感受时，勾先生笑着说：“这里离我们家很近，以后散步都能看到我们领证的地方，会很有意义。” 【相关新闻】 鲜花预订火热 错峰消费成新风 厦门网讯（厦门晚报记者 江乙平）昨天是七夕，我市鲜花市场迎来消费高峰。记者走访多家花店发现，昨天的客流量较平日明显增多，各家商户正紧锣密鼓备货、修剪、打包。 不少商家在七夕前一周就开启了预订通道。走进位于集美岑西路的“见春”花店，映入眼帘的是整装待发的满室花束，店员穿梭其间，核对订单、打包配送，忙碌而有序。
九 | 店主说，这都是客人提前预订的花束，都已经做好，正等待配送。“今年七夕，我们店共推出9款不同规格的花束，价格从238元到988元不等。预订量与去年基本持平，但客单价有所上涨。”店主说，今年七夕预订单量达到200多单，由于人手比较少，为了保证品质，只能暂停其他花束订单。 也有不少花店选择“错峰”作业。18日清晨，位于集美文创园的一家花店便已忙碌起来。
十 | “以前都要忙到七夕当天凌晨两三点，今年把订单提前消化了大半，节日当天不会那么手忙脚乱。”店主说。 花店“错峰”制作，也有消费者选择“错峰”预订。
十一 | 市民陈先生提前预订了玫瑰，叮嘱店家提前一天配送，“七夕当天路上车多人多，怕花还没到手就先碰坏了。” 也有市民尝试“DIY鲜花”。市民邱先生向记者展示了他在网上下单的鲜花套餐——10支红玫瑰、10支粉玫瑰、5支百合，外加其他搭配花材，总价仅40元。“七夕花束溢价太高了，还不如买散装鲜花回来插瓶，既省下包装费，又能挑选爱人喜欢的品种，心意更足。 酒店餐饮同样是七夕消费的重要场景。今年七夕是工作日，不少酒店迎来了临时预订的小高峰。悦华、空港佰翔花园、佰翔澜悦、南洋雅乐轩等酒店餐厅均推出了七夕专属套餐，主打氛围感与仪式感。据一家酒店经理透露，今年七夕客房入住率超过90%，临时预订餐厅位置的客人也明显增多。 值得一提的是，我市依托“爱盟Aimoy”平台，正式推出“爱盟新人甜蜜礼包”。自2026年8月19日起，在厦门登记结婚的新人，一年内凭实体结婚证、闽政通结婚证电子证照或“爱盟电子证婚书”三者之一，即可在全市23家国企酒店享受“甜蜜专属价”，涵盖建发文旅集团（13家）、佰翔酒店集团（3家）及夏商商业发展集团（7家），并可叠加优先安排楼层、欢迎水果、延迟退房等专属礼遇。
十二 |
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