Solomon Islands says it won’t allow a Chinese military base and is ‘conscious of security ramification’

A day after security pact was agreed, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says it doesn’t invite China to set up a base
A leaked draft of the agreement allowed Chinese navy ships to replenish in the islands, sparking concern in the region

China-Australia relations

Reuters

Published: 3:04pm, 1 Apr 2022

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Amid a regional backlash, the Solomon Islands said it would not allow a Chinese military base in the Pacific islands nation despite its plan to sign a security pact with Beijing.

A day after officials from the two countries initialled a draft agreement on security, the office of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Friday said the agreement does not invite China to establish a military base.

“Government is conscious of the security ramification of hosting a military base, and it will not be careless to allow such initiative to take place under its watch,” a statement said.

Sogavare has not released details of the security agreement with China, amid concern sparked by a leaked draft that allowed Chinese navy ships to replenish in the islands. Ministers have not yet signed it.

Chinese police train Solomon Islands officers. Photo: AFP/Royal Solomon Islands Police Force

The leader of the Federated States of Micronesia on Thursday urged the Solomon Islands not to sign the security pact, saying he had “grave security concerns” and feared the Pacific could become embroiled in war between China and the United States.

New Zealand has also warned against the pact, which it says could upset long-standing regional security cooperation. Australia’s Defence Minister Peter Dutton on Friday said he respected Sogavare’s perspective but urged caution.

China had established 20 points of military presence in the South China Sea despite telling the United States it would not militarise the region, and Canberra feared Beijing was on a similar pathway in the Pacific islands, Dutton said in an interview with Sky News.

“They want a military port in PNG [Papua New Guinea]. They’ve got one in Sri Lanka, and they’re looking obviously at other places where they can put them,” he said.

A Chinese military base in the Solomon Islands would prompt Australia to significantly increase its military deployment to the region because the islands are very close to Australia, he said.

“The Chinese are incredibly aggressive. The tactics that they’re deploying into small island nations is quite remarkable,” he added.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton called China’s tactics “quite remarkable”. Photo: EPA-EFE

Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China would undermine stability in the region.

“We don’t believe that there is a need for countries outside the Pacific family to have a security role,” she said on local radio on Friday.

China’s foreign ministry on Thursday said “the China-Solomon Islands security cooperation does not target any third party and does not conflict with other countries”, and that the agreement covered social order, protecting lives and property, and natural disaster response.