China and Solomon Islands sign security pact raising concern in Australia
This agreement signed with the Solomon Islands (photo) will, according to Australia, give China the possibility of building a naval base just 1,600 kilometers from the Australian coast.
AFP/Archivos
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The information had leaked last month, it is now official.
China has just announced the signing of a security pact with the Solomon Islands, under which its military ships will be able to restock in this South Pacific archipelago.
To the chagrin of neighboring Australia, which, like New Zealand and the United States, expressed their concern at the announcement of this news.
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With our correspondent in Sydney
,
Grégory Plesse
China assures us that this security pact with
the Solomon Islands
is not directed against any third country.
But this does not reassure
the Australian government
, which said it was "
deeply disappointed
" by this agreement, which according to him, opens the possibility for China to build a naval base just 1,600 kilometers from its coast.
The Australian opposition, it deplores that the government has done nothing to prevent the signing of this agreement, perceived in Canberra as a threat to the stability of the region.
The inertia of the Australian government pointed out
Scott Morrison however cannot feign surprise.
According to Penny Wong, tipped to become the head of Australian diplomacy in the event of a Labor victory in the elections next month, he had known for months: "
As of August, the leader of the opposition to the Solomon Islands had warned the Australian government of what was going on.
But as Scott Morrison was absent, as a result, our region is less secure and the risks to Australia have increased
, ”said Penny Wong.
Last week, the Australian government dispatched a minister to Honiara to try to prevent the signing of this agreement, obviously without much success.
In 2019, the Solomon Islands decided to
sever their diplomatic relations with Taiwan
, to establish them with China.
A break that occurred only a few months after the accession to power of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
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China
Australia
Solomon Islands
Defense