China and Solomon Islands Draft Secret Security Pact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/world/asia/china-solomon-islands-security-pact.html

China and Solomon Islands Draft Secret Security Pact, Raising Alarm in the Pacific
The leaked agreement, if signed, could help the Chinese Navy block shipping routes that played a vital role in World War II.
By Damien Cave
Published March 24, 2022 Updated March 25, 2022, 1:47 a.m. ET

SYDNEY, Australia — A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II.

The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government. Though it is marked as a draft and cites a need for “social order” as a justification for sending Chinese forces, it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.

“This is deeply problematic for the United States and a real cause of concern for our allies and partners,” Charles Edel, the inaugural Australia chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said on Friday.

“The establishment of a base in the Solomon Islands by a strategic adversary would significantly degrade Australia and New Zealand’s security, increase the chances of local corruption and heighten the chances of resource exploitation.”

It is not clear which side initiated the agreement, but if signed, the deal would give Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands the ability to call on China for protection of his own government while granting China a base of operations between the United States and Australia that could be used to block shipping traffic across the South Pacific.

[Chainfire]

1. The same place names that were prominent in the 1940s are returning to

the headline news. American money built modern China and now they believe that their turn has come. Perhaps it is the natural order of things.

[RainCaster]

2. That's a problem!

This needs to be publicized and the Solomon's brought to an accounting.

[Hekate]

4. Dear Solomon Islanders: this is a very bad idea on your part. Dear Americans: ....

… remember Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership that was intended to rein in China’s ambitions?

[2naSalit]

5. Huh...

I guess globalization will eventually lead to isolationism whether desired by most or not.

[crickets]

6. Ouch. Kicking for the late afternoon crowd. nt