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Micronesia leader urges Solomons to consider consequences of China pact on Pacific
- In a letter, President David Panuelo voiced concern about the Pacific becoming ‘collateral damage’ in a potential conflict between the US and China
- Solomons PM Manasseh Sogavare on Tuesday dismissed critics, saying it was ‘very insulting … to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs’ by other nations
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The president of the Federated States of Micronesia has sent an impassioned plea to the Solomon Islands’ prime minister, urging him to reconsider a controversial and “unprecedented” security pact with China.
President David Panuelo voiced “grave security concerns about this proposed agreement” in a March 30 letter released by his government Thursday, citing rising tensions between China and the United States.
“My fear is that we – the Pacific Islands – would be at the epicentre of a future confrontation between these major powers,” Panuelo wrote.
A leaked draft of the wide-ranging security agreement sparked rebuke from the US, Australia and New Zealand last week because it would allow Chinese security and naval deployments to the Solomon Islands.
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The Solomon Islands’ prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, dismissed critics of the deal in a fiery speech Tuesday, saying it was “very insulting … to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs” by other nations.
In his letter to Sogavare, Panuelo asked the Solomons leader to consider the long-term consequences “for the entire Pacific region, if not the entire world” of signing the security pact.
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He voiced concern about the Pacific becoming “collateral damage” in a potential conflict between the US and China, saying the region could be transformed into “the playground for children playing as adults”.
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