China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement. This report has been given by the New York Times quoting a leaked document. According to reports, till now this agreement has been kept secret. China is continuously increasing its presence in the Indo-Pacific region. In such a situation, this security agreement can become a cause of concern for countries like Australia and India.
Charles Adele, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the New York Times that this is a deep problem for America and a real cause for concern for our allies and partners. The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly undermine the security of Australia and New Zealand. This will increase the risk of local corruption and resource exploitation.
What’s in the document?
It is not clear which side initiated the deal but if the deal is signed it would give Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogaware the ability to call on China to protect his government. It will also provide China with a base between the US and Australia that can be used to stop shipping traffic across the South Pacific.
The leaked document states that the Solomon Islands will send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces from China according to their needs to help maintain social order, protect people’s lives and property. Solomon Islands may request to be sent.
What do the opposition parties have to say?
Matthew Valle, leader of the opposition party in the Solomon Islands parliament, said he feared a too general, broad, vague agreement could be used for anything. The gist of it is that it is about the political existence of the PM. It has nothing to do with the national security of the Solomon Islands.
raging australia
Regarding the matter, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has said that we will be concerned about any action that destabilizes the security of our region. Members of the Pacific family are best positioned to respond to situations affecting Pacific regional security.
Let us tell you that Australia has been losing influence in the Solomons for years. The large country has a history of being condescending to the region, downplaying its concerns about climate change and often describing it as its ‘backyard’.