太平洋岛国考虑未来与美国的关系

 

Three sovereign, self-governing Pacific island nations are joined with the United States in Compacts of Free Association.

The three are the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and Palau. They are sometimes called the Freely Associated States (FAS).

Many Americans know very little about these island nations or that they have a relationship with the United States. But American officials consider the countries important because of their location in the Pacific. The People’s Republic of China and other nations have begun investing in the three countries in an attempt to increase their influence in the area.

The three island nations receive millions of dollars in direct aid from the U.S. government. In 2016, they received more than $214 million to help their governments and economies. They also get help from U.S. government agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Postal¹ Service.

The Compacts of Free Association are bilateral², international agreements. They permit certain citizens of FSM, RMI and Palau to visit -- and live in -- all 50 states and all U.S. territories as legal nonimmigrants without a visa. They can live, work and study in the states and territories for an indefinite period of time. American citizens have what are called “reciprocal rights” -- they may live and work in the three island nations.

The Compacts also permit the United States to place troops in the three countries, and give the U.S. the right to use some of their land for bases. The countries agree not to permit the militaries of other nations to operate in their territory.

Micronesians, Marshallese and Palauans all use the U.S. dollar as their national currency -- in other words, they use the dollar when making purchases in their home country.

Micronesia

The Federated States of Micronesia adopted a constitution in 1979. The Compact of Free Association with the United States took effect in 1986, three years after its citizens voted to approve it. The FSM was admitted as a member of the United Nations in 1991.

About 108,000 people live in the Federated States of Micronesia.

The nation has about 607 islands. It is in the Western Pacific, about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii.

In 2003, a new, 20-year agreement on U.S. financial assistance was reached. It included a new Compact between the FSM and the U.S.

Like the agreements with the Marshall Islands and Palau, the Compact “provides financial assistance, defends FSM’s territorial³ integrity and provides for visa-free travel for citizens to the United States. The United States has special access to FSM’s land and waterways for strategic purposes.”

Marshall Islands

The Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands was established in 1979. The country joined the United Nations in 1991. The Compact of Free Association took effect in 1986. Like FSM, in 2003 it reached a new, 20-year agreement on financial assistance with the United States that included an Amended⁵ Compact.

The U.S. Army’s Kwajalein Atoll Reagan Missile Test Site is in the Marshall Islands. It is an important part of America’s anti-missile defense⁶ system. The U.S. Department of Defense pays the Marshall Islands to use the atoll and to control some of the islands in the Kwajalein Atoll.

From 1946 to 1958, the United States Department of Defense operated nuclear testing programs at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. The U.S. State Department told VOA that “the United States (has) recognized the effects of (the) testing and has accepted and acted on its responsibility to the people of the Marshall Islands.” As part of the 1986 Compact with the Marshall Islands, the U.S. government settled claims with the country and has paid more than $600 million to affected⁷ communities, including $135 million to resettle people who lived on the atolls.

About 63,000 people live in the Marshall Islands, which has five large islands and 29 small coral atolls.

As part of the Amended Compact, the United States agreed to provide financial help to FSM and the Marshall Islands until 2023 in the form of “direct sector⁸ grant assistance” and trust fund contributions. But U.S. officials do not want to continue giving those nations money forever. So the U.S. government is providing money to create a program that will help them become self-sufficient after direct aid ends.

Palau

Palau also adopted a constitution in 1979. Its Compact of Free Association with the United States took effect in 1994. The U.S. Department of the Interior says the Compact “defends Palau’s territorial integrity, and (permits) visa-free travel by Palauan citizens to the United States. The United States has special access to Palau’s land and waterways for strategic purposes.”

Although the U.S. government and Palau decided⁹ in 2010 to augment¹⁰ the Compact, the U.S. Congress has not agreed to fund and approve it. However, even though the new agreement has not taken effect, most parts of the 1994 Compact remain in effect.

In 1994, Palau ceased being the last district of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and was admitted as a member of the United Nations.

It is estimated that between 14,000 and 18,000 people live in Palau, which has about 250 islands. Palau is in the Pacific Ocean, about 7,600 kilometers west of Hawaii.

In World War II, during the Battle of Peleliu, a state in Palau, more than 1,500 U.S. servicemen died and at least 8,000 were wounded. The fighting took place in late 1944, and lasted for two and one half months. It was one of the bloodiest¹¹ battles of the war.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has provided Palau with more than $13 million in aid every year since 2010.

Grace Choi is a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau. She said that if Congress had approved the 2010 agreement, Palau would have received “$229 million in financial assistance in several categories through fiscal¹² year 2024, including an additional $30 million for its Trust Fund.”

Palauans serve in the U.S. military at much higher rates compared to the size of their population than any American state. However, the U.S. territory of American Samoa has the highest rate of enlistment¹³ of any state or territory, however. And Palau supports the United States in votes at the United Nations between 87 and 97 percent of the time, more than almost any other country.

In 2011, the State Department told Congress that “our relationship with not only Palau but with other FAS states (permits) the United States to guard its long-term defense and strategic interest in the region.”

Palau, the department said, “helps create a security zone that safeguards U.S. interests in the Pacific.” It warned that China, Arab states and Cuba are “actively courting Palau and the other Pacific island nations as they seek to build influence in the region.”

The U.S. Census¹⁴ Bureau estimates that more than 41,000 citizens from FSM, RMI and Palau live in the United States. The five states with the highest number of citizens from those three countries are Hawaii, Arkansas, Washington, Oregon, and Texas. The Census Bureau estimates that almost 20,000 citizens of the three nations live in the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

And I'm Caty Weaver¹⁵.

Words in this Story

sovereign – adj. having independent authority and the right to govern itself

location – n. a place or position

bilateral – adj. involving two groups or countries

indefinite – adj. not certain in amount or length

reciprocal – adj. used to describe a relationship in which two people or groups agree to do something similar for each other, to allow each other to have the same rights, etc.

currency – n. the money that a country uses; a specific kind of money

adopt – v. to accept or approve (something, such as a proposal) in a formal or official way

access – n. a way of being able to use or get something (usually + to)

amend⁴ – v. to change some of the words and often the meaning of (a law, document, etc.)

atoll – n. an island that is made of coral and shaped like a ring

self-sufficient – adj. able to live or function without help or support from others

augment – v. to add something to (something) in order to improve or complete it

court – v. to give a lot of attention and praise to (someone) in order to get approval, support, etc.

region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

1 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

4 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

5 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

11 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

12 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

13 enlistment   

n.应征入伍，获得，取得

参考例句：

• Illness as a disqualification for enlistment in the army. 疾病是取消参军入伍资格的一个原因。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One obstacle to the enlistment of able professors was that they had to take holy orders. 征聘有才能的教授的障碍是他们必须成为牧师。 来自辞典例句

14 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

15 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。