Australian PM ‘Very Confident’ There Won’t Be Any Chinese Bases in Solomon Islands

PM Anthony Albanese and his Solomon Islands counterpart Manasseh Sogavare held the first in-person meeting between the leaderships of the two nations since the unveiling of the Sino-Solomon security cooperation pact. The pact has stoked concerns in Canberra about the presence of a Chinese base barely 2,000 km from Australia’s eastern seaboard.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claims he is “very confident” there won’t be any Chinese bases in the Solomon Islands.

His words came following a meeting with the Solomon Islands’ Manasseh Sogavare on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders' Meeting in the Fijian capital Suva on Wednesday.

“I am very confident that won't happen. I had a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Sogavare yesterday,” Albanese stated in an interview with Australian broadcaster Channel 9 on Thursday.

“One of the things we need to do is build personal relations between Australia and our friends in the Pacific. To make sure that our interests, but also their interests, are protected,” the Australian PM added.

The Labor government, which came to power in May, has been scathingly critical of the previous administration, led by Liberal PM Scott Morrison, for ignoring the priorities of the Pacific neighborhood in its foreign dealings. Albanese, as well as Foreign Minister Penny Wong, have described the Sino-Solomon security agreement as a “policy failure” on part of the Morrison government.

Australian officials have warned that a potential Chinese military presence in the Solomon Islands would affect the “day-to-day operations” of the Australian Defense Force (ADF) by air and sea.

Both Beijing and the Solomon Islands have consistently rejected the idea that the security pact could lead to a permanent Chinese presence in the Pacific nation.

Albanese, however, insisted he didn’t ask his Solomon Islands counterpart to “tear-up” the security agreement.

“They're a sovereign nation. We've got to respect that. But what we need to do as well is make clear what Australia's interests are. And obviously, the interests of Australia would not be served by having a military base so close to where Australia is and so close to where Queensland is as well,” Albanese remarked.

Canberra Hails US Engagement in the Pacific

Meanwhile, the Australian PM welcomed the US engagement in the region, a day after US Vice President Kamala Harris announced a slew of diplomatic and developmental incentives for the Pacific Island Nations (PINs) during a virtual address at the PIF meeting on Wednesday.

Harris announced new embassies in Kiribati and Tonga, as well as tripling annual developmental aid to $60 million, which she said were aimed at strengthening Washington’s role in the Pacific.

“The United States has a presence in the Pacific and has for a long period of time. They go into the Pacific in terms of their coastline and the state of Hawaii. And the presence of the US in the region is important. And we welcome the US engagement,” Albanese said.

While also welcoming the move, Beijing cautioned at the same time that Washington mustn’t ask Pacific nations to take sides.

“We are happy to see PICs (Pacific Island Countries) receive more support for its development and vitalization from countries willing to do so. This has always been China’s position,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a briefing on Wednesday.

“I noted the statement of a US official that the US doesn’t ask PICs to choose between China and the US and its cooperation is not about countering China. We hope the US will deliver on its statement,” Wang added.