美中分歧，亞太經合組織會後無公報

An acriMonious meeting of world leaders in Papua New Guinea failed to agree Sunday on a final communique, highlighting widening divisions between global powers China and the U.S.

The 21 nations at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Port Moresby struggled to bridge differences on the role of the World Trade Organization, which governs international trade, officials said. A statement was to be issued instead by the meeting's chair, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill.

“The entire world is worried” about tensions between China and the U.S., O'Neill told a mob of reporters that surrounded him after he confirmed there was no communique from leaders.

It was the first time leaders had failed to agree on a declaration in 29 years of the Pacific Rim summits that involve countries representing 60 percent of the world economy.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were differences between several nations, including China and the U.S. Draft versions of the communique seen by The Associated Press showed the U.S wanted strong language against unfair trade practices that it accuses of China. China, meanwhile, wanted a reaffirmation of opposition to protectionism and unilateralism it says the U.S. is engaging in.

The two-day summit was punctuated by acrimony and underlined a rising rivalry between China and the West for influence in the usually neglected South Pacific. China is a relative newcomer to providing aid, and its loan-heavy, no-strings attached approach has unsettled Western nations that have been the mainstay donors to developing nations and often use aid to nudge nations toward reforms.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Chinese President Xi Jinping traded barbs in speeches Saturday. Pence professed respect for Xi and China but also harshly criticized the world's No. 2 economy for intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers and unfair trading practices.

The U.S. has this year imposed additional tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, and Beijing has retaliated with its own tariffs on U.S. products.

The world, according to Xi's speech, is facing a choice between cooperation and confrontation as protectionism and unilateralism grows. He said the rules of global institutions set up after World War II such as the World Trade Organization should not be bent for selfish agendas.

Pence told reporters that during the weekend he had two “candid” conversations with Xi, who is expected to meet President Donald Trump at a Group of 20 summit at the end of this month in Buenos Aires.

The U.S. is interested in a better relationship “but there has to be change” from China's side, Pence said he told Xi, who responded that dialogue is important.

China's foreign ministry rejected the U.S. criticism that it was leading other developing nations into debt bondage.

“No country either in this region or in other regions has fallen into a so called debt trap because of its cooperation with China. Give me one example,” Wang Xiaolong, a foreign ministry official, told a news conference.

In Port Moresby, the impact of China's aid and loans is highly visible. But the U.S. and allies are countering with efforts to finance infrastructure in Papua New Guinea and other island states. The U.S. has also said it will be involved in ally Australia's plan to develop a naval base with Papua New Guinea.

On Sunday, the U.S., New Zealand, Japan and Australia said they'd work with Papua New Guinea's government to bring electricity to 70 percent of its people by 2030. Less than 20 percent have a reliable electricity supply.

China, meanwhile, has promised $4 billion of finance to build the first national road network in Papua New Guinea, among the least urbanized countries in the world.世界各國領導人在巴布亞新幾內亞的會晤言辭激烈，未能在週日就最終公報達成一致，突顯了中美兩個大國之間日益擴大的分歧。

官員們表示，參加在莫爾茲比港舉行的亞太經合組織峯會的21個國家，無法就各方對管理國際貿易的世貿組織所起的作用統一意見，結果變爲主持會議的巴布亞新幾內亞總理奧尼爾發表聲明。

奧尼爾確認將不會發表領導人公報後對周圍的記者表示，“整個世界都擔心中美之間的緊張關係”。

這是亞太經合組織這個環太平洋地區峯會29年來，領導人首次未能達成一致聲明。參加這一峯會的國家佔全球經濟的60％。

加拿大總理特魯多說，包括中國和美國在內的幾個國家之間存在分歧。美聯社所獲的公報草案顯示，美國希望嚴辭指責它所說的中國不公平貿易行爲，而中國希望重申反對美國正在參與的保護主義和單邊主義。

這場爲期兩天的峯會時時出現尖銳的言論，凸顯出中國與西方之間爭奪在通常被忽視的南太平洋地區的影響力而展開的競爭。中國是一個相對較新的援助國，它提供的鉅額貸款和無附加條件的做法使西方國家感到不安。西方一直是發展中國家的主要捐助者，並經常利用援助推動各國改革。

美國副總統彭斯和中國國家主席習近平週六在演講中針鋒相對。彭斯在表達對習近平和中國的尊重同時，嚴厲批評了這個世界第二大經濟體盜竊知識產權，強制技術轉讓和不公平貿易行爲。

美國今年對2500億美元的中國商品加徵關稅，北京則以對美國產品徵稅作爲報復。

習近平則在講話中說，隨着保護主義和單邊主義擡頭，世界面臨着合作還是對抗的選擇。他說，第二次世界大戰後建立的全球性機構的規則，例如世界貿易組織，不應於爲自私的議程服務。

彭斯告訴記者，他在週末與習近平進行了兩次“坦誠”的對話。預計習近平將於本月底在布宜諾斯艾利斯舉行的20國集團峯會上與美國總統特朗普會面。

彭斯說，他對習近平表示，美國有意建立更好的美中關係，但中方“必須作出改變”。習近平則迴應說，對話很重要。

中國外交部反駁了美國稱其正在引領其他發展中國家陷入債務的批評。

一名外交部官員在新聞發佈會上說，。在這一地區或其他任何地區，沒有一個國家由於與中國的合作而陷入所謂的債務陷阱。“

在莫爾茲比港，中國的援助和貸款的影響非常明顯。但美國和盟國正在努力制衡，爲巴布亞新幾內亞和其他島國的基礎設施提供融資。美國還表示將參與盟友澳大利亞與巴布亞新幾內亞發展海軍基地的計劃。

週日，美國、新西蘭、日本和澳大利亞表示，他們將與巴布亞新幾內亞政府合作，在2030年前爲該國70％的人口提供電力。目前那裏有不到20％的人有可靠的電力供應。

與此同時，中國承諾提供40億美元的資金，用於建設巴布亞新幾內亞的第一個國家公路網。這個國家是世界上城市化程度最低的國家之一。