Two top U.S. officials are leading a delegation to the Solomon Islands over growing concerns that China could establish a military presence there.
It comes following an announcement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin that the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele signed a security agreement “the other day.”
The draft pact was leaked online. It says that Chinese warships could stop in the Solomon Islands and that China could send police and armed forces to “assist in maintaining social order.”
According to Wang, the agreement covers “maintaining social order,” the protection of lives and property, providing humanitarian assistance, and responding to natural disasters.
The Solomon Islands has continued to try and downplay the significance of the agreement. The Pacific Island nations say it will not lead to China establishing a military base.
However, neighboring countries and Western nations are worried.
Last week, Australian Sen. Zed Seselja, minister for international development and the Pacific, visited the Solomon Islands. The Australian government said it was “deeply disappointed” that the deal had been signed.
Seselja and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a joint statement that Australia is concerned about the lack of transparency that the agreement had been developed, and that it has the potential to destabilize the region.
The U.S. State Department fears the agreement could destabilize the Solomon Islands and would set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific region. The broad nature of the agreement could leave the door open for Chinese military forces to be deployed to the Solomon Islands, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
The White House said that two top officials will lead a delegation of government officials to the Solomon Islands, and will also visit Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, will head up the delegation.
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