Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned China and the Solomon Islands against allowing a Chinese naval base on the islands, saying it was a “red line.”
The warning followed the announcement of a new security agreement the Solomon Islands and China signed last week. However, Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the new deal would not allow China to establish a naval base and promised it would not undermine peace and security within the islands.
“I share the same red line that the United States has when it comes to these issues,” Morrison told reporters on Saturday, according to the Hill. “We won’t be having Chinese military naval bases in our region on our doorstep.”
SOLOMON ISLANDS’ NEW SECURITY PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA MAKES WAVES IN THE PACIFIC
Morrison added that the new deal was also a concern for nearby islands, including Fiji and Papua New Guinea, but said it respects the sovereignty of the Solomon Islands, a collection of hundreds of islands in the South Pacific.
“We respect the right of every Pacific country to make sovereign decisions,” Australia’s foreign ministry said. “We have regularly and respectfully raised our concerns with the Solomon Islands Government and will continue to do so. We would be particularly concerned by any actions that undermine the stability and security of our region, including the establishment of a permanent presence such as a military base.”
A U.S. delegation met with Sogavare on Friday after he asked world leaders to respect the sovereignty of his nation. In the meeting, the U.S. delegation said it would respect the sovereignty but raised security issues about the pact with the region.
“The United States respects the right of nations to make sovereign decisions in the best interests of their people,” a readout from the White House stated. “The two sides engaged in substantial discussion around the recently signed security agreement between Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China. … Solomon Islands representatives indicated that the agreement had solely domestic applications, but the U.S. delegation noted there are potential regional security implications of the accord, including for the United States and its allies and partners.”
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China’s foreign ministry said the new agreement should not be over-interpreted and claimed the agreement was in line with international law.
The United States announced in February that it would reopen an embassy in the Solomon Islands’ capital city of Honiara to emphasize the importance of the country.
