The Australian minister of home affairs, Karen Andrews, has said that the possibility of the Chinese military operating in Solomon Islands is concerning.
The minister was responding to reporters questions around the leaked documents suggesting that China was about to establish a military presence in Solomon Islands, an Island in the pacific.
Responding to this Chinese military presence in an area Australia considers to be its backyard, the minister said;
“In relation to China, in relation to the Pacific region, that is our back yard, that is our neighbourhood, and we are very concerned about any activity that is taking place in the Pacific islands.
“Our Pacific Island friends know that we are there to support them.”
Australian officials are increasingly worried about China establishing a military presence in Solomon Islands after a leaked document revealed the two countries are negotiating a new security agreement.
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A draft official document – which emerged on social media earlier today – lays down a framework which could permit Beijing to deploy forces to “protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in Solomon Islands”.
The agreement says Solomon Islands may “request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces” to the country.
It also states that China’s government may “make ship visits, to carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands”.
Solomon Islands which is less than 2,000km off Australia’s coast switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019.
The ABC reported at the time that some $US500 million ($730 million) worth of financial aid had been promised by Beijing to the Solomons — one of the Pacific’s poorest nations — in exchange for the move.
This led to Taiwan terminating its diplomatic relations with Solomon Islands after 36 years.
The arrangements are also likely to worry the United States, which said in February it would open an embassy in Solomon Islands after senior US administration officials expressed concern China wanted to create military relationships in the Pacific islands.
Australia has historically provided security support to Solomon Islands and led a policing mission to restore order in the wake of riots in Nov. 2021, at the request of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare.
Australia deployed a peacekeeping force to Solomon Islands after violent protests targeted parliament, Chinese businesses and other buildings in the Pacific nation’s capital, Honiara.
At the centre of a deepening rift between the central government and Malaita Province — the most populous island in the Solomon Islands archipelago — that precipitated the riots was the switching of diplomatic relations from Taiwan to Beijing.
What started as a peaceful protest by people primarily from the Malaita Province quickly turned violent as a crowd of about 1,000 people grew agitated.
Australia has long been the main security provider to Solomon Islands and is determined to retain its pre-eminence in that role. It’s federal police and ADF personnel to Honiara in November was instrumental to the restoration of calm following the riots.
The document outlining the security agreement between Solomon Islands and China was first published online by an advisor to the Malaita Provincial Government Premier Daniel Suidani, who has been a fierce critic of Solomon Islands’ decision to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan and who has been pressing for independence for his province.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
