China-Solomons pact: US says lack of transparency is big concern about security agreement
- Daniel Kritenbrink says US does not ask countries to choose between the US and China but hopes they can decide while free from coercion
- Assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific says US will respond to any attempt by Beijing to establish military presence or installation in Solomons
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China confirms signing of Solomon Islands security pact, as US warns of regional instability
Kritenbrink said that during the meeting between US officials and the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, the US said it would have “significant concerns” and would respond naturally if there were moves to establish a de facto permanent military presence, power projection capabilities or a military installation.
The purpose of the trip was to “communicate in a very candid way the concerns that we have about the security agreement that they concluded with China”, he said, adding that the Solomon Islands had given assurances there would be no such military base.
“We’ve indicated that we will continue to monitor the situation closely and continue to engage with them going forward.” He did not offer details of what the US would do if a military base was built in the Solomons.
The “complete lack of transparency behind this agreement” was the fundamental concern, Kritenbrink said.
“What precisely are the motivations behind the agreement? What exactly are China’s objectives?
“I think they’re completely unclear because this agreement has not been scrutinised or viewed or subject to any kind of consultation or approval process by anyone else,” Kritenbrink said.
Australia tells Solomon Islands it must be ‘really careful’ on China deal
While details of the agreement have not been released, a draft of the deal – leaked in March by political opponents of Sogavare – suggested the Solomons would allow China’s navy to dock in the islands and for Beijing to deploy its police and armed forces there.
Sogavare has said the deal would allow Chinese police to protect Chinese-financed infrastructure projects after violence erupted in his country late last year between protesters and police, causing millions of dollars in damage.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that speculation that China would build a military base in the Solomon Islands was “pure disinformation fabricated by a handful of people who harbour ulterior motives”.
In 2019, the island nation broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognised Beijing.
Regarding Taiwan, Kritenbrink said the US would continue to advocate for “friends” in the region to seek deeper ties with Taiwan, which he called a leading democracy and a critical economic and security partner.
“The United States is not in the business of asking countries to choose between the United States and China. But … we want all countries to have choices and have say over their own sovereignty and the ability to make their own decisions without coercion,” he said.
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He said the US had outlined tangible benefits for countries in the region that worked with the US on a range of issues around economic trade and tackling global challenges – including climate change and Covid-19 – and will move forward in that way.
Kritenbrink said the US’ relationship with the Solomon Islands was “bigger than this security agreement”.
“Our commitment to the region is strong and enduring,” he said, adding that there were signs of strong demand in the region for greater US engagement. He said the US would continue to respond to those demand signals in robust ways.
