China-Solomon Islands Security Agreement

April 22, 2022

A security pact has been signed between China and the Solomon Islands. This agreement has been signed to enhance the existing cooperation arrangements with the Solomon Islands.

Overview:

The pact was announced a day after the U.S. made plans to send a delegation to the South Pacific nation to convince them to break the deal with China.
Manasseh Sogavare, the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands stated that this pact was signed to improve security concerns in the nation.
With the announcement of the pact, concerns are rising about the impact of this pact as it gives China a foothold in this South Pacific region.

About the pact

The details of the pact have not been released, but a draft that was leaked suggested that Chinese police will be deployed at the request of the archipelago to maintain social order and Chinese warships can stop at the Solomon Islands. Also, both parties will be requiring written consent from the other to disclose the details of the pact.

Concerns raised by other countries

The most vocal critic of the agreement has been Australia as it already has a security agreement with the Solomon Islands since 2017. Other countries such as the US and New Zealand have also raised their concern. Concerns have been raised regarding the transparency of the pact and all the concerned parties are concerned about the increase of Chinese presence in this area. The US has announced plans that it will be reopening its embassy in Honiara (capital of the Solomon Islands) which was closed in 1993.

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