{
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  "dek": "The United States is stepping up its presence in the South Pacific with new funding and a reinforced diplomatic footprint, as its competition with China intensifies across the region. Yet the effectiveness of the push is tempered by Washington’s deep cuts to its main overseas aid agency, leaving doubts about the consis",
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      "source_name": "South China Morning Post — China",
      "title": "US port pledge ups China rivalry in Pacific but island nations stick to own course",
      "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3366758/us-port-pledge-ups-china-rivalry-pacific-island-nations-stick-own-course",
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  "headline": "US port pledge ups China rivalry in Pacific but island nations stick to own course",
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    "The evidence-strength label describes source structure, not truth, intent, impact, or causation.",
    "Declared instrument links are topical pointers until a separate scan or economic observation is joined by time and method.",
    "Title-similarity clustering can miss differently worded or cross-language accounts and can join closely worded updates.",
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      "attribution": "South China Morning Post — China",
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