China Signs Bilateral Agreements With The Solomon Islands
Move gives China an additional presence in the Pacific
Manasseh Sogavarem, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister has been visiting Beijing to sign nine bilateral agreements on economic, technical, and policing cooperation with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, as well as President Xi Jinping. The Solomon Islands have some strategic value as they sit east of Papua New Guinea and north-east from Australia. They also possess extensive fishing grounds and can be used as a naval port base in the Pacific. Chinese tourism is also expected to be a growth market.
The agreements included a joint statement released on Tuesday (July 11) affirming the two countries’ new “comprehensive strategic partnership,” as well as an agreement to “enhance cooperation on law enforcement and security matters” in which China pledged to continue supporting the Solomon Islands with police training and equipment through 2025.
Beijing has previously trained and supplied replica guns and riot-control equipment to the island nation’s police force, including water cannon vehicles.
The Solomon Islands affirmed its support for the One-China policy in the joint statement, which included a less-than-subtle hint to Japan to “prudently handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear contaminated water” from the Fukushima meltdown into the sea, a plan China has long opposed, and criticism aimed at the US and UK for providing Australia with a nuclear submarine.
“The Solomon Islands has a lot to learn from China’s development experience,” Prime Minister Sogavare told the Chinese leaders, adding that he was eager to “further boost relations” between the two nations.
Confirming the nature of the meeting, Li told reporters the two governments had “decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development,” remarking favorably on how quickly and advantageously their relationship had developed.
Beijing is looking to expand its Belt and Road Initiative through the Pacific and across Asia and Africa, with a network of ports and other infrastructure, Xi told Sogavare in a later meeting, adding that the country hopes to invest significantly in the Pacific region through existing and startup Chinese companies “without political strings attached.”
“China understands that Pacific Island countries are facing severe challenges from climate change, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation,” Xi continued.
Sogavare will formally open Solomon Islands’ embassy in Beijing before returning home on Saturday.
The Solomon Islands switched diplomatic relations in 2019 from Taiwan to Beijing and announced a major security and diplomatic pact with the country last year. Seemingly blindsided by the move, the United States has spent the last year attempting to move Honiara away from what the Biden administration sees that China has now become the Islands regional military partner. The US also opening an embassy in Honiara, its first since 1993.
A State Department delegation visited the Solomon Islands just days after the partnership with China was announced, warning that, should they permit Beijing to establish a military presence there, the US would have to “respond accordingly.” Prime Minister Sogavare repeatedly reassured the Americans that there would be no Chinese military base, long-term presence, or power-projection capability in his country as result of the agreement.
SOLOMON ISLANDS
GDP: US$1.6 billion
GDP Per Capita: US$2,211
2023 Expected GDP Growth Rate: 2.23%
Population: 710,000
The Solomon Islands is a country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia. It has a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi). The country became independent in 1978 but retains King Charles III as Monarch and membership of the British Commonwealth. It has had periodic periods of social unrest, due to disagreements with Papua New Guinea, which have involved Australia in terms of providing assistance. The move to China to provide internal security support has not been received well in Canberra or London. The Solomon Islands is also a member of the United Nations, Interpol, Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Community, International Monetary Fund, and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries (Lomé Convention).
In terms of trade, China exported US$190 million worth of products to the Solomon Islands in 2022, with the majority of goods sent being iron, steel, plastics and vehicles. The Solomon Islands exported goods to the value of US280 million, mainly wood, charcoal, slag and ash, pearls, and some seafood.
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