On April 19, the Solomon Islands announced, to everyone’s surprise, the signing of a vast security agreement with China. This pact had provoked strong reactions from Canberra and Washington had sent a high-level delegation to Honiara. Without naming any country, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister spoke on Tuesday of a risk of invasion of the archipelago, while his Australian counterpart called for calm on Thursday May 5.
Very annoyed by the turn of events and the turmoil in some countries since signing a security pact with BeijingPrime Minister Manasseh Sogavare complained to Parliament about the continued lack of trust and being treated as “ kindergarten kids walking around with a colt and needing to be watched “.
” We feel insulted “, he underlined while expressing his fears of a military intervention by countries which would consider their national and strategic interests threatened in the archipelago.
Concerns about this “secret arrangement”
The Australian Prime Minister called for calm and moderation. While trying to reassure his traditional ally, Scott Morrison reiterated his concerns about ” the secret deal between the Solomon Islands and Beijing.
Of senior US diplomats dispatched to the scene had tried to find out more about the security agreement, which would unofficially allow the establishment of a Chinese base in the Pacific archipelago. An act that would be followed by a response from Washington, warned the White House.
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