中國軍隊醫院船抵達基里巴斯

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Chinese military-run hospital ship arrives in Kiribati

Sun, July 16, 2023 at 3:39 a.m. PDT

By Yew Lun Tian

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese military-run hospital ship has arrived in Kiribati for the first time, as China vies with the United States for influence in the Pacific region.

The arrival of the 14,300 metric ton "Peace Ark" - the first time a Chinese navy vessel has visited Kiribati - marks a step up in Chinese soft power in the Pacific Island state that switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in 2019.

The ship docked at Kiribati on Saturday to start a seven-day visit that includes humanitarian medical assistance, the Chinese defence ministry said on its official WeChat account on Sunday.

While medical crew from the ship will see patients at the local hospital and other places, the Chinese commanding officer will meet with Kiribati leaders including the president, health minister, transport minister and police chief.

The ship is also due to visit Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.

China has been building ties in the Pacific in recent years to the consternation of the United States and allies Australia and New Zealand, who have long seen the region as their sphere of influence.

(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Translation

北京（路透社）- 在中國與美國爭奪太平洋地區影響力之際，一艘中國軍方運營的醫院船首次抵達基里巴斯。

14,300噸的 “和平方舟” 號的抵達是中國海軍艦艇首次訪問基里巴斯，標誌著中國在這個太平洋島國軟實力的提升，該國於2019年將外交信奉從台灣轉為中國。

中國國防部周日在其官方微信賬戶上表示，這艘船於週六停靠在基里巴斯，開始為期7天的訪問，其中包括人道主義醫療援助。

船上醫務人員將前往當地醫院等地救治患者，中國司令官還將會見基里巴斯總統、衛生部長、交通部長和警察局長等領導人。

該船還將訪問湯加、瓦努阿圖、所羅門群島和東帝汶。

近年來，中國一直與太平洋地區建立聯繫, 引起美國及其盟友澳大利亞和新西蘭的驚愕，這些國家長期以來一直將該地區視為自己勢力範圍。

So, a Chinese military-run hospital ship has arrived in Kiribati for the first time,  challenging the United States' influence in the Pacific region. South Pacific islands are another contesting ground between China and the US.