The government of the Solomon Islands is about to sign a security treaty with Beijing. The treaty may allow China to build a military base on the Pacific archipelago, just two thousand kilometers northeast of the Australian coast.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands says the treaty is almost complete. The draft text was leaked last week. It states that China may send military and police personnel to protect Chinese citizens and Chinese interests on the islands. The archipelago may also request military personnel and police.
If China has its way, Chinese naval vessels will be allowed to dock at the islands in the future. This would give China its first military base in the western Pacific Ocean, not far from the US naval base on Guam.
The news has caused great unrest in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warned against ‘militarization of the region’† But especially in Australia, which considers itself the most important ally of the archipelago, the news hits hard. Australia sees China as a threat to stability in the region. The relationship has deteriorated in recent years and nowadays there is virtually no communication between the capitals.
Australia vehemently resists Chinese influence in what Canberra considers its backyard. That is why the country initiated the alliance Aukus: a military pact between the US, UK and Australia to stem China’s expanding influence in the ‘Indo-Pacific’. Beijing views the establishment of Aukus as an act of aggression.
very insulting
Sogavare has reacted strongly to the outcry about the treaty in the West. He says the criticism that his country is relinquishing control to China is “very insulting” and that he can guarantee sovereignty very well.
The Solomon Islands are particularly attractive to China because of their location three thousand kilometers from the US naval base on Guam and six thousand kilometers from Hawaii. In 2019, a Chinese company nearly signed a 99-year lease agreement for Tulagi, an island with a natural deep-sea port. That seemed like a first step towards the establishment of a Chinese naval base. The deal ultimately fell through, but is seen as a warning of what China is up to in the Pacific region.
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Traditionally, Australia has been the archipelago’s closest ally and to date the only country with which it has a similar security treaty. Australia spends millions on development aid, economic projects and, for example, medical aid such as during the corona pandemic. Australia sends military aid where necessary, such as at the end of last year when riots broke out in the capital Honaria over China’s increasing influence.
But critics say Morrison hasn’t noticed that the ties haven’t been that close in a long time. The Australian government is said to be condescending to leaders in the area and have not listened enough to concerns, especially about climate change.
Peter Hooton, a former Australian commissioner for Samoa and the Solomon Islands, argues in a Lowy Institute think tank magazine that “concrete and ambitious climate commitments are needed” to restore confidence in Australia.
Solomon Islands opposition leader Matthew Wale told Australian public broadcaster ABC that he was “extremely disappointed” after warning the Australian government a year ago about growing Chinese influence. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce denied that the government has done anything and says Canberra is “on top of it” behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, China, which previously focused mainly on the South China Sea, is trying to expand its influence into the wider circle of the Pacific Ocean. For example, China wants to restore a remote airstrip on the vast but sparsely populated island state of Kiribati. Like the Solomon Islands, Kiribati stopped recognizing Taiwan in 2019, paving the way for cooperation with China. The Chinese government is also strengthening ties with Papua New Guinea.
China is mainly trying to win over the island states in the Pacific region with economic aid and investment. Kiribati is said to have defected after China promised the delivery of planes.
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