Gwagwarmayar iko da Taiwan tsakanin Amurka da China na walagigi da ƙasar Palau

'Yan shekaru da suka gabata jiragen ruwan da ke karakaina a ruwan Palau cike suke da msu yawon buɗe ido - da yawansu daga China - da ke mararin zuwa yankin. Otel-otel sun cika, wuraren cin abinci a cike, su kuma masunta da kyar suke iya ji da kwastomomi. Amma yanzu ba haka lamarin yake ba.

Haɓaka da kuma saukowar hada-hadar ba tsautsayi ba ne. Daga 2015 zuwa 2017, masu yawon buɗe ido daga China ne kusan rabin masu kai ziyara. Sai a 2017 kuma Beijing ta umarci masu yi wa 'yan yawon buɗe ido jagora su daina kai mutane Palau, abin da ya jawo yanke hanya mafi girma ta samun kuɗi a tsibirin.

"Na sayo sababbin jirage saboda ƙaruwar masu yawon buɗe ido," a cewar wani mai aikin jagorancin masu yawon buɗe ido a Koror. Amma bayan karyewar hada-hadar, a cewarsa, jiragen sun ci gaba da zaman banza a gabar ruwa kuma da kyar suka mayar da kuɗin da aka kashe wajen sayaensu.

Mahukuntan Palau sun yi zargin cewa da gangan China ta yi amfani da masu yawon buɗe idon domin dakatar da tsibirin Palau daga amincewa da Taiwan a matsayin ƙasa.

BBC ta tuntuɓi ma'aikatar harkokin wajen China amma ba ta ce komai ba. China ta sha musanta amfani da yawon buɗe ido a matsayin makamin siyasa.

Palau ɗaya ce daga cikin 'yan ƙalilan ɗin ƙasashe da suka amince da Taiwan a matsayin cikakkiyar ƙasa. Hakan saɓa wa manufar harkokin wajen China ne, wadda take kallon Taiwan ɗin a matsayin wani ɓangare nata.

Amma ba maganar siyasa ba ce kawai.

Bigiren da Palau take wuri ne da manyan ƙasashen duniya za su so ya zama wurin da suke iko da shi a siyasance. Yana wurin da ake kira "Second Island Chain" - wani ziri mai cike da tashoshin leƙen asiri da Amurka ke fatan zai taimaka mata wajen daƙile faɗaɗar ƙarfin sojan China da kuma saurin daƙile barazanar Chinan idan rikici ya ɓarke a yankin Pacific.

Palau da Amurka na da kyakkyawar alaƙa tsawon shekaru: kafin ya samu 'yancin kansa a 1994, Amurka ce ke tafiyar da tsibirin.

Ƙarƙashin wata yarjejeniya mai taken Compact of Free Association, Palau ya bai wa Amurka iko mai yawa na kafa sansanonin soja, a madadin tallafin da zai dinga samu ciki har da bai wa 'yan Palau damar yin aiki a Amurkar ba tare da wani sharaɗi ba.

Yanzu Amurka na amfani da wannan damar wajen ƙarfafa dakarunta a yankin.

Wannan gwagwarmayar siyasa tsakanin China da Amurka da Taiwan na shafar mazauna 'yar ƙaramar ƙasar da ba su wuce 20,000 ba.

"Ko ma me za mu yi yanzu, Palau za ta ci gaba da cibiyar ayyukan soja saboda bigiren da muke," in ji Shugaban Palau Surangel Whipps Jr. a hira da BBC.

Kyauta a yankin Pacific

Alaƙar Palau da Taiwan na da girma sosai.

Lokacin da Palau ta samu 'yancin kai a 1994, Taiwan ta yi wuf ta ƙulla alaƙar difilomasiyya da ita, a cewar Cheng-Cheng Li na jami'ar National Dong Hwa University da ke Taiwan.

Jakadar Taiwan a Palau, Jessica Lee, ta faɗa wa BBC cewa shugabannin yankunan ƙasar sun tabbatar mata alaƙrsu ta har abada ce.

Sai dai Taiwan na fargaba. A 'yan shekarun nan, China ta yi nasarar raba ƙawance tsakaninta da wasu ƙasashen yankin kamar Solomon Islands, Kiribati, da Nauru kuma suka koma abota da Chinar tun daga 2019.

Samu iko da Taiwan na da muhimmanci ga China.

"Amurka da Taiwan na cikin fargabar Palau za ta iya sauya alƙibla," in ji Graeme Smith babban mai bincike a jami'ar Australian National University. "Za su kashe kuɗaɗe masu yawa wajen hana faruwar hakan."

Bayan hawa mulki a 2021, shugaban Palau ya bayyana ƙarara cewa China ta yi "tayin ba ta masu yawon buɗe ido miliyan ɗaya" domin ta koma abota da ita. Ya ƙi amincewa.

A 2024, China ta fiyar da gargaɗi ga 'yan ƙasar cewa su dinga yin taka-tsantsan wajen ziyartar Palau.

"Idan tana amfani da yawon bude ido a matsayin makami, bai kamata mu dogara da wannan kasuwar ba," kamar yadda Mista Whipps ya faɗa wa BBC. "Idan China na buƙatar ƙawance da China za su iya samu, amma ba zai yiwu su hana mu yin abota da Taiwa ba."

Tasirin Amurka

Yayin da China ke faɗaɗa ƙarfin sojanta a kusa da Taiwan, Amurka ta yi iƙirarin cewa China na shirin auka wa ƙasar ne.

Ita ma Amurka ta hanzarta faɗaɗa ayyukan sojanta a yankin yammacin Pacific domin daƙile harin China a kan Taiwan.

Sai dai Amurka ta nuna fargaba kan wata matsala; ƙwace ƙasa.

Wasu takardu da BBC ta gani sun nuna cewa kamfanonin China sun karɓi hayar wurare a kusa da tashoshin leƙen asiri, inda aka gina otel-otel da ke kallon gaɓar ruwan Palau da kuma babban filin jirgin samanta.

A Angaur, ɗaya daga cikin jihohin Palau a kudanci, Amurka na gina wata tashar leƙen asiri ta Tacmor, wanda aka sanar a 2017. Amma a 2019 da 2020, masu zuba jari na China sun karɓi hayar wurin da ya kai girman murabba'in mita 350,000 bayan fitar da sanarwar.

Ba mu iya samun jakadan Amurka a Palau ba, amma ya sha nuna damuwarsa a baya.

"Kusan ko'ina yanzu an bai wa 'yan China hayar wurare," kamar yadda Joel Ehrendreich ya faɗa wa kamfanin labarai na Reuters. "Ba na jin tsautsayi ne ya sa wuraren suke kusa da gine-ginenmu."