Key Points
- Manasseh Sogavare has ruled out a Chinese security base.
- He said Australia is the Solomons' security partner of choice.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has again ruled out a , saying the Pacific nation would become the "enemy" if that were to happen.
Addressing concerns over the , Mr Sogavare reiterated in an interview with the Guardian, RNZ and SIBC that Australia remained the Pacific nation's "security partner of choice".
“I have said it before and I will say it again, that is not in someone’s interest, nor the interest of the region for any military base, to be established in any Pacific island country, let alone Solomon Islands,” he said, speaking on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji.
"The moment we establish a foreign military base, we immediately become an enemy."
Mr Sogavare said Chinese security personnel would only be called for assistance if the Australian government could not meet his country's security requests.
"If there is any gap, we will not allow our country to go down the drain. If there is a gap, we will call on support from China," he said.
"But we’ve made it very clear to the Australians, and many times when we have this conversation with them, that they are a partner of choice … when it comes to security issues in the region, we will call on them first."
He said Solomon Islands had ensured the agreement did not undermine the security of the region.
On Thursday morning, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was confident a security base would not happen.
Why was Australia concerned about the security agreement?
The Australian government has repeatedly expressed concern about China's influence and interest in the Pacific region.
In 2019, Solomon Islands ended 36 years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan and switched allegiance to China.
In April, China announced it had signed a security agreement with Solomon Islands that rocked the Indo-Pacific, stoking geopolitical tensions.
A leaked draft sparked concerns that the pact would lead to China establishing a military base in Solomon Islands, which is located about 1,700km northeast of Cairns.
Mr Sogavare and Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin both dismissed the likelihood of that scenario.
Politicians and analysts flagged a potential Chinese military base could leave Australia’s eastern seaboard open to direct military attack, as well as representing the beginning of dominance in the South Pacific.
They also said investment by China into the small states would come with , which could lead to increased control of assets in the region.
Australia had previously asked Solomon Islands not to sign the agreement, and officials from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) later used bilateral talks with China to raise "serious concerns" about the pact.
What else do we know?
Despite , final details of the security agreement have not been made public.
The leaked draft included a proposal that "China may, according to its own needs and with the consent of the Solomon Islands, make ship visits to, carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands".
It would also allow armed Chinese police to deploy at the Solomon Islands' request, to maintain "social order".
The "forces of China" would also be allowed to protect "the safety of Chinese personnel" and "major projects in the Solomon Islands".
Without the written consent of the other party, neither would be allowed to disclose the missions publicly.
In the months leading up to the PIF leaders' summit, China signed more than 40 bilateral deals with Pacific nations.
It also sought a region-wide deal with 10 nations covering policing, security and data communications cooperation, which was later put on ice after failing to reach a consensus.
What is happening at the Pacific Islands Forum?
Mr Sogavare has met with other Pacific Island leaders at the forum in Suva, Fiji.
On Wednesday, he met with Mr Albanese for the first time since the inking of the pact, with the two leaders embracing.
Mr Albanese told Mr Sogavare there was more Australia and Solomon Islands could do to develop "relationships of trust and mutual understanding" between the two nations.
He described the meeting as "very constructive", stressing "the interests of Australia would not be served by having a military base so close to where Australia is".
United States Vice President Kamala Harris earlier announced US$600 million ($889 million) in funding for the Pacific islands, revealing the US would appoint its first-ever envoy to the Pacific and launch an inaugural national strategy. It will also open two new embassies in Kiribati and Tonga.
China was discovered to have sent two officials to watch the speech, which Ms Harris delivered via video link.
On Thursday, Pacific leaders are holding a closed-door meeting to discuss a range of issues, including China's influence, climate change and COVID-19.
