The Solomon Islands says its new security pact won't allow China to build military bases there, but that insistence will do little to ease concerns. Neighboring Micronesia warns the South Pacific could become a battleground for larger powers like in WWII.
FILE - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, left, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Oct. 9, 2019. In an announcement Thursday, March 31, 2022, China and the Solomon Islands have signed a draft version of a security pact that could see Chinese police and other forces taking up duties in the Pacific Island nation, drawing concerns from traditional partners New Zealand, Australia and the United States.
But that insistence will do little to ease concerns about the pact from the nation’s traditional partners that include New Zealand, Australia and the United States. In a statement Friday, the Solomon Islands government said that “contrary to the misinformation promoted by anti-government commentators” the agreement did 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,” the statement said.
Under the terms of the draft agreement, China could send police, military personnel and other armed forces to the Solomon Islands “to assist in maintaining social order” and for a variety of other reasons. It could also send warships to the islands for stopovers and to replenish supplies, which had led to speculation about the possibility of China establishing a naval base on the South Pacific islands.
“And is it plausible that, once the spheres have been carved out, that our concerns about climate change — today’s problem — would manifest into all-too-real concerns about a war in our backyards, with our people, our islands, as the playground for children playing as adults?” Panuelo wrote to Sogavare.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Thursday that “relevant parties should see the China-Solomon Islands security cooperation objectively and rationally and stop making irresponsible remarks.”
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