Practices and Implications of Climate Assistance to Small Island States from Major Powers: From the Perspective of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty
摘要 气候变化已经成为小岛屿国家最关切的议题之一，但多数小岛屿国家受限于其发展程度，只能依赖他国援助和支持以应对气候变化产生的影响。近年以来，这种需求正在变得愈发迫切。在2023年11月签订的“澳—图睦邻联盟条约（Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty）”（以下简称“澳图条约”）中，图瓦卢以包括允许澳大利亚介入其外交和安全事务在内的高昂代价，换取澳大利亚的气候援助承诺。气候变化对小岛屿国家国际法人格和海洋权利的潜在影响，是理解双方合意缔结该条约真实动因的重要切入点。更为值得关注的是，“澳图条约”反映着部分大国以气候援助为支点，愈发深入地介入小岛屿国家内外事务的实践趋向。倘若类似“气候合作”由个例演变成固定的范式，大国将不断扩张在小岛屿国家的势力范围，其他小岛屿国家也将不得不为自身的生存而寻找大国的庇护，小岛屿国家为对抗大国控制而建立的区域组织也将被瓦解，进而彻底改变目前太平洋地区的地缘政治格局。大国与小岛屿国家应对气候变化的博弈，将对我国与小岛屿国家的深度合作产生潜在影响。有鉴于此，中国应从尊重国家主权和独立自主的基本立场出发，坚决抵制以气候合作为名干涉小岛屿国家内外事务的做法，并积极为小岛屿国家提供针对性的气候变化应对方案，推动前瞻性的“气候外交”布局。
Abstract：Climate change has become one of the greatest concerns of small island states, but most of them are constrained by their development and are dependent on assistance and supports from others to cope with the impacts of climate change. Such a need has become more urgent in recent years. In the 2023 Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty, Tuvalu received climate assistance from Australia at a high price, including access to Tuvalu’s foreign and security affairs. The potential impacts of climate change on the international legal personality of small island states and their rights to the maritime areas are an important entry point for understanding the true motivations for the treaty. More notably, the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty reflects a trend in the practice of some major powers to use climate assistance as a fulcrum for deeper involvement in the internal and external affairs of small island states. If this kind of climate cooperation evolves from an isolated case into a fixed paradigm, the major powers will continue to expand their influence over small island states. Other small island states will have to seek refuge in the major powers for their own survival, and the regional organizations established by the small island states to fight against the control of the major powers will be dismantled. These situations will change the current geopolitical landscape of the small island regions. The game between major powers and small island states in dealing with climate change will also have a potential impact on China’s promotion of in-depth cooperation with small island states. In view of this, China should, from the basic position of respecting state sovereignty and independence, resist the practice of intervening in the internal and external affairs of small island states in the name of climate cooperation, actively provide the small island states with targeted climate change coping programs and promote its climate diplomacy.
李明杰、张海文. 大国对小岛屿国家气候援助的实践及影响：以“澳图条约”为视角[J]. 太平洋学报, 2024, 32(4): 60-73.
LI Mingjie, ZHANG Haiwen. Practices and Implications of Climate Assistance to Small Island States from Major Powers: From the Perspective of the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty. Pacific Journal, 2024, 32(4): 60-73.
