The US expressed alarm on Tuesday over the “vague arrangements” made between both the Solomon Islands, as well as China, stressing the agreement’s “undisclosed nature.”
Australia is in Grave Danger
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands stated on Wednesday his administration officially signed the security deal with China, citing “a sovereign choice” to expand military cooperation with neighboring lands.
Sogavare reaffirmed in his remarks that the deal with China will not have a negative influence on the region’s harmony and peace.
The “unspecified aspect” of the defense accord, however, alarmed Washington, since it followed Beijing’s practice of making “shadowy” arrangements with countries.
“We are worried about the lack of openness and ambiguous nature of this agreement,” the White House stated.
“This follows the pattern of China giving opaque, vague arrangements with minimal regional involvement in fisheries, strategic planning, development aid, and now security procedures.”
JUST IN – China has signed a "security pact" with Solomon Islands, according to Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. pic.twitter.com/BIf2hpkt1B
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 19, 2022
Kurt Campbell, the United States’ Indo-Pacific director, will visit the Solomon Islands in the upcoming days to meet with Sogavare about the situation.
In Honolulu, the US held a meeting with officials from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand on Monday.
Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said in a speech the conclusion of the Solomon–China Treaty left her country “extremely disappointed,” and her country will seek “more clarity” on the provisions of the pact.
“We accept the Solomon Islands’ freedom to make its own national security judgments.”
“Our continuously stated opinion, especially from the standpoint of Australia’s country’s interests,” Payne said, “remains that the Pacific community is best positioned to fulfill the region’s security challenges.”
The other week, Australia’s Pacific Minister Zed Seselja paid a visit to Honiara and urged Solomon Islands authorities to reject the treaty.
What Can They Do?
Following the latest development, Australia’s Labor opposing party accused Prime Minister Scott Morrison of failing to engage in regional participation.
Biden is conceding Asia to the CCP, and yet the Left’s main worry is that its own videos are being posted by conservatives.
Why China’s Security Pact With the Solomon Islands is a Threat – The New York Times https://t.co/yM3STtKy52
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 20, 2022
Labor’s foreign relations speaker, Kenny Wong, said the area was “less safe” under Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and the dangers to Australia were significantly larger.
“The administration ought to have taken action sooner.”
On April 20, she told the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), “we live in a world where the strategic conditions we face are harsher and more unclear than at any time since the end of the Second World War.”
The agreement would essentially authorize the Chinese Communist Party to transfer police, troops, weaponry, and possibly naval ships to the Solomon Islands to “guard the safety of Chinese workers and significant projects.”
Because of its power over sea routes, the Solomon Islands’ position is crucial, and it was the site of major fighting during World War II.
Beijing’s grasp would be extended beyond the South China Sea to be within 1,700 kilometers (1,060 miles) of Cairns, Australia’s northernmost city.
