What remains most unclear is the extent of China’s ambitions. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the threshold of Australia and New Zealand, but also within walking distance of Guam, with its vast US military bases. China so far operates only one recognized foreign military base in the impoverished but strategically important horn of Africa, Djibouti. Many believe that the People’s Liberation Army of China is busy building an overseas military network, even if they do not use the term “base”. The Solomon Islands government says a draft agreement with China was initialed last week and will be “cleared” and signed soon. The draft, which leaked online, says Chinese warships could be stopped at Solomon for “logistics” and that China could send police, military personnel and other armed forces to Solomon “to help maintain of social order “. The draft agreement clarifies that China must approve what information is disclosed about common security arrangements, including media updates. The Solomon Islands, home to about 700,000 people, changed their diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 – a move that was rejected by the most populous province and contributed to the unrest last November.
The US will reopen the embassy
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded in February by saying that Washington would reopen its embassy in the capital, Honiara, which has been closed since 1993, to increase its influence in the Solomon Islands before China was “strongly integrated”. Both China and the Solomons have categorically denied that the new pact would lead to the establishment of a Chinese military base. The Solomon Islands government said the pact was necessary because of its limited capacity to deal with violent uprisings such as the one in November. “The country has been devastated by repeated internal violence for years,” the government said this week. But Australia, New Zealand and the United States have expressed concern about the deal, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinta Arden describing it as “gravely worrying”.
Micronesia is asking Solomons PM to reconsider
David Panuelo, the president of nearby Micronesia, which has close ties to the United States, wrote a passionate letter to Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare urging him to reconsider the deal. He noted that both Micronesia and the Solomon Islands were battlefields during World War II, involved in the conflict of great powers. “I am convinced that none of us wants to see a conflict of this magnitude or scale again, especially in our backyards,” Panuelo wrote. However, Solomon Islands Police Chief mocked Panuelo’s concerns on social media, saying he should be more concerned about swallowing his atoll from the ocean due to climate change. Sogavare also dismissed outside criticism of the security deal as offensive, calling those who leaked the draft “crazy.”
There are no “military tones” in the agreement, China says
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the deal was aimed at safeguarding the lives and property of the people and had “no military tone”, adding that media speculation about the possible development of a base was unfounded.
Euan Graham, a senior fellow at the Singapore-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, said China has been seeking such a port facility for about five years as it aims to expand its naval presence in the South Pacific as part of its long-term Peugeot game. seeking to become the dominant regional power.
“If they want to break out in the Pacific, at some point they will need the ability to provide logistical support to support that presence,” Graham said. “We are not talking about war plans here; they are actually expanding their presence and influence.”
Locals pass in front of destroyed buildings in Choniara of the Solomon Islands on December 6, 2021. Last month, rioters set fire to buildings and looted shops in the capital. (Gary Ramage / The Associated Press)
Contrary to the base built in Djibouti, where China has commercial interests in the region to protect, Graham said any operation in the Solomon Islands would probably be less substantial.
“It is a rather delicate and interesting geopolitical game that has emerged in the South Pacific,” he added. “And I think the Chinese were very successful, if you will, in beating the United States and Australia in a race for influence, not in a military race.”
China’s Djibouti base opened in 2017. China does not call it a base, but a support facility for its pirate-backed naval operations in the Aden Gulf and its African peacekeeping operations. It has a runway of 400 meters (1,300 feet) and a pier large enough to anchor one of the two Chinese aircraft carriers in operation.
The 2,000-strong base allows China to deploy supplies, troops and equipment in a strategically important area, while also monitoring nearby US forces.
