By Kirsty Needham
SYDNEY (Reuters) – China will send officials to the Solomon Islands next month to sign cooperation agreements, the Pacific nation’s parliament was told on Tuesday, amid a backlash from the United States, Australia and New Zealand over new security ties between Beijing and Honiara.
The Chinese embassy and Solomon Islands officials have initialled a security pact that would allow Chinese police to protect infrastructure and social order, but it has not yet been signed by ministers.
Last week, Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja travelled to Honiara to ask Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare not to sign the security framework agreement with China which Canberra fears could lead to a Chinese military presence in the Pacific islands.
The White House said on Monday a high-level United States delegation including White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell will also travel to Honiara to discuss concerns over China, as well as the reopening of a U.S. embassy.
On Tuesday, Honiara’s parliament was told by Douglas Ete, chairman of the public accounts committee and lawmaker for East Honiara, that Chinese foreign ministry officials would arrive next month.
“The PRC foreign affairs is heading to Honiara in the middle of May to sign multilateral agreements and cooperations with the Solomon Islands government,” he said, referring to China.
Ete said the visit meant the two nations would increase trade, education and fisheries cooperation. He added that he rejected the idea of Solomon Islands signing a security pact with China to establish a military base.
Sogavare told parliament the proposed security agreement would not include a Chinese military base.
Canberra is concerned the security pact, details of which have not been made public, could be a step towards a Chinese military presence less than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Australia.
Sogavare’s office said it could not confirm which Chinese officials would travel to Honiara.
(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Michael Perry)
