China and Solomon Islands sign security pact, informs Chinese spokesm

Beijing: China informed us that it had signed a security pact with the pacific nation, Solomon Islands. Australia and New Zealand and the United States had expressed strong concerns over the possible cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands. A few days ago, a senior Australian Minister visited the Solomon Islands and appealed to refuse to sign the agreement with China. While China is announcing the deal, two senior US officials have reportedly reached the Solomon Islands.

Over the last few years, China has been making strong efforts to increase its influence in the Indo-Pacific region. China has started using its financial might for this purpose. It had surfaced from various reports that China has provided funding to the tune of $2 billion to eight Island Nations from the Pacific regions in aid and debt. Two years ago, China forced the Solomon Islands government to sever its diplomatic ties with Taiwan. After that, a Chinese company acquired Tulagi Island, part of the Solomon Islands.

Now China has initiated moves to set up a defence base in the Solomon Islands. The information shared by the Chinese spokesman regarding the security pact is a part of the same initiative. Chinese embassy and the sources in Solomon Islands government informed that the security pact was for the security of the Chinese enterprises in the Solomon Islands. It is said that China will assist in maintaining law and order in the country. But the United States and Australia claimed that China is trying to build a defence base on the Solomon Islands.

Last week, Zed Seselja, Australian Minister for International Development and Pacific affairs, visited the Solomon Islands. During the visit, he reminded of the cooperation between Australia and Solomon Islands. Seselja also pointed out that Australia has provided an aid of nearly $120 million to the Solomon Islands in the current year itself. The Australian Minister also pointed out that Australia is an important partner of the Solomon Islands on the security front. But the Solomon Islands has gone ahead with signing the security pact with China, ignoring all the Australian appeals.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the United States has sent Kurt M. Campbell, a senior official in the National Security Council and Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, to the Solomon Islands. It is said that these officials will also be visiting Fiji and Papua New Guinea.