US-Australia’s Securitization Of China-south Pacific Cooperation And China’s Desecuritization

The cause of securitization is that the actor intends to gain some substantial political influence.The process is that the actor shapes security threats and constructs security issues by disseminating security discourses to the audience.Desecuritization is to “downgrade” the securitized issues to general issues such as political issues,economic issues,or social issues,restore the true face of the issue,and reduce the urgency of the issue.Facing the securitization of China-South Pacific cooperation and even pan-securitization by the United States and Australia,desecuritization has become an effective path for China to enhance its international discourse power,promote the construction of the South Pacific branch of the 21 st Century Maritime Silk Road,and create a “South Pacific Community of Shared Future”.Therefore,this paper will focus on analyzing the construct and impact of the United States and Australia in securitizing China-South Pacific cooperation,and explore useful paths on how to promote the desecuritization of U.S.and Australia’s participation in the securitization of China-South Pacific cooperation.It can be seen from the research that the United States and Australia make full use of discourse hegemony to secure China’s entry into the South Pacific.The U.S.and Australian governments’ foreign affairs,security intelligence agencies,and parliaments are the initiators of securitization,and some American and Australian media,academic institutions,universities,and semi-official social organizations are the main communication agencies,slandering China for creating a “debt trap” in the South Pacific.They have ulterior motives to shape China as a “threat” to South Pacific security and an “invader” of South Pacific values.The essence of the US and Australia’s securitization of China-South Pacific cooperation is to use discourse hegemony to concoct the “China threat theory” to consolidate Western political hegemony.At present,the securitization of the United States and Australia is only a partially successful securitization.In the international community,the listeners who accept the securitization of the United States and Australia are mainly allies of the United States and Australia.As the most important listeners who have the most direct interests of the securitization object(South Pacific Security),most do not accept the security rhetoric of the United States and Australia.The securitization of the United States and Australia has not only smeared China’s image and delayed China’s “Belt and Road” initiative,but also brought many negative impacts to the South Pacific region.Therefore,in the face of the securitization actions of the United States and Australia,China should start the process of desecuritization by vigorously improving its discourse power and international communication capabilities,actively providing public goods in the South Pacific region,promoting the governance of the South Pacific region,building South Pacific Community of Shared Future and promoting the interaction between the security and development of the South Pacific,so as to meet the practical survival and development needs of the South Pacific island countries.