SYDNEY — A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and warships pouring into a Pacific island nation that played a crucial role in World War II.
The previously kept secret agreement was shared online by opponents of the deal on Thursday evening and has been confirmed as legitimate by the Australian government. Despite being labeled as a draft and citing the need for “social order” as justification for deploying Chinese forces, it has sparked alarm across the Pacific, where concern over China’s intentions has been growing for years.
“This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real concern for our allies and partners,” said Charles Edel, the first Australian chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, on Friday. “Establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly compromise the security of Australia and New Zealand, increase the likelihood of local corruption and increase the chances of resource exploitation.”
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It is not clear which side initiated the deal, but if signed, the deal would give Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare the opportunity to ask China for protection of his own government while giving China a base of operations between the United States and China grants Australia, which could be used to block shipping across the South Pacific.
Five months ago, protesters unhappy with Beijing’s secretive influence attacked the prime minister’s residence, burned down shops in the capital’s Chinatown and left three people dead. Well, the worst-case scenario envisioned by some Solomon Islanders would be a collapse of democracy before or during next year’s elections, with more unrest and the risk of China stepping in to maintain the status quo.
According to the leaked document, “Solomon Islands may, at its own discretion, request China to deploy police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and military forces to Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order and protecting the life and property of the.” to protect people. ”
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It allows China to provide “assistance in other tasks” and requires secrecy, noting that “neither party shall disclose the cooperation information to any third party.”
Matthew Wale, leader of the opposition party in the Solomon Islands Parliament, said he feared the “very general, overarching, vague” deal could be used for anything.
“The whole point is that this is about the prime minister’s political survival,” he said. “This has nothing to do with Solomon Islands national security.”
For Beijing, the deal could offer its own potential reward. “China can make ship visits in the Solomon Islands, carry out logistical replenishment and have stopovers and crossings in the Solomon Islands according to its own needs and with the consent of the Solomon Islands,” the draft reads.
It also says Solomon Islands will provide “all necessary facilities”.
The Chinese embassy in the Solomon Islands did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Australia, which has traditionally been the islands’ main security partner and also dispatched police officers at the government’s request to quell unrest in November, was quick to respond to the leaked document.
“We would be concerned about any action that destabilizes the security of our region,” Australia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Members of the Pacific family are best placed to respond to situations affecting regional security in the Pacific.”
Despite such affirmations, Australia has been losing influence with the Solomon Islands for years. The larger country has a history of condescension towards the region, downplaying its concerns about climate change and often referring to it as its own “backyard”.
Sogavare has made no secret of his desire to bring China closer. In 2019, shortly after his election, he announced that the island would end its 36-year diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own, in order to establish official ties with Beijing. He argued Beijing will provide the infrastructure and support the country needs.
The Sogavare government quickly signed agreements giving Chinese companies the right to build roads and bridges and reopen one of the country’s gold mines. A Chinese company even tried to lease the entire island of Tulagi.
This deal was eventually ruled illegal after critics rose in anger. Residents of Tulagi and Malaita, an island province where local leaders have expressed strong opposition to China, said bribes are constantly being paid by Beijing proxies with pockets full of cash and promises of kickbacks for top executives, often during all-inclusive Trips are made to China.
The violent protests in November in the Solomon Islands reflected this frustration. They erupted on the island of Guadalcanal in the capital, Honiara, where US troops fought a brutal battle against the Japanese from 1942. And the clashes have been sparked by anger over allegations of China-sponsored corruption and a perceived unequal distribution of resources. This makes Malaita less developed despite having the largest population in the country.
Malaita Prime Minister Daniel Suidani – who has banned Chinese companies from Malaita while accepting US aid – said the anger came from “the leadership of the national government”.
“They provoke people to do something that is not good,” he said in November.
Wale said he encouraged the prime minister to negotiate with Malaita, with little success.
“The political discourse on these things doesn’t exist,” he said, adding that the proposed deal with China would make the relationship more volatile.
Anna Powles, a senior lecturer at the Center for Defense and Security Studies at Massey University in New Zealand, said recent upheaval and ongoing uncertainty point to high levels of stress on government from the pandemic, the economy and “long-standing… Concerns” about the capture of the state and political elites by foreign interests.”
“Some of the biggest implications here relate to how strategic competition disrupts local government,” Powles said.
US officials are also increasingly concerned. In interviews over the past few years, they have often cited the Solomon Islands as a serious example of China’s approach across the Pacific, which involves cultivating decision-makers to open the door to Chinese business, migration and access to strategic resources and locations – most likely, believe the Americans, for civil and military purposes, at sea and for satellite communications.
Many Pacific islands, including Kiribati and Fiji, have seen a surge in Chinese diplomats, construction deals and Chinese migration over the past five years. Disputes and tensions have grown over Beijing’s role in a region that has often been either ignored or viewed as little more than dots on the map for major powers to play with.
Last month, during a visit to Fiji that focused heavily on competition with China, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States would soon open an embassy in the Solomon Islands, having closed one in the 1990s. It is still many months away from going live, and as of Friday, US officials initially did not respond to requests for comment.
“They can certainly do more and faster,” Wale said. “You just seem to drag with your feet.”
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