Solomon Islands-China Security Pact: A Threat to Western Security?
In April, the Solomon Islands announced it would form closer ties with China, through a new security agreement between the two. When the United States and Australia heard of this, they both sent an envoy to the small nation with the hopes of discouraging them from agreeing to the pact. However, by the time the delegation had arrived, the agreement had been signed by both China and the Solomon Islands. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said that nations want to continue “bossing the Pacific island countries around”.
The agreement itself has not been published, however a draft version was leaked to the public. It is the first bilateral agreement between China and a nation of the Pacific, and grants China’s military certain powers in the Islands. The deal was extremely secretive, only the Solomon Islands Prime Minister and a few officials knew about it and were helping develop the agreement. When it was published, it received harsh criticism from the American and Australian media and governments. The leak that circulated the internet, displays multiple concerning parts of the agreement.
For one, China is able to dock its military vessels in the Solomon Islands, with the consent of the Solomon Islands. Along with this, it can deploy its military or police either to protect Chinese forces and “projects” or when the Solomon Islands request help. Not only did this deal shock foreign governments, but many Ministers, politicians, and the people of the Solomon islands were taken by surprise as well. It is apparent that almost everyone was taken by surprise, and they would not have even known had it not circulated social media. The former Australian high commissioner to the Solomon Islands, James Batley, said he understood why they decided to keep the deal secret, as the Prime Minister of the Islands must have known the response his people, colleagues, and other nations would have had to the deal.
Secondly, the draft agreement states that the ships going to the Solomon Islands can carry out “logistical replenishment”. This is what worries many experts and foreign governments, as this phrasing, along with what is said throughout the document about “projects”, and allowing forces to protect said projects, makes it seem as if a military base may be designed. This would allow for China to establish a military presence in the center of the Indo-Pacific, and closer to Australia. However, the Chinese Defense Ministry has countered this, saying it is “purely fake news”.
While China has every right to establish agreements with other nations, this agreement is worrying. Its secrecy makes it apparent that neither country wanted anyone to know about the agreement, even the people of the Solomon Islands. Along with this, the agreement itself has not been published, only a draft document that was leaked online, with questionable phrasing about military deployment. All of this makes Western nations like America and Australia worried about the stability of the Indo-Pacific.