China has officially signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, Chinese spokesman for Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, confirmed on Tuesday.
“The foreign ministers of China and the Solomon Islands officially signed the framework agreement on security cooperation recently,” the spokesperson said while addressing a daily news briefing. He, however, did not provide details on the final version of the agreement.
The announcement follows the leak of a draft of the agreement last month which had restored fear from local opposition leaders as well as Pacific countries including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand that the deal could lead to the presence of the Chinese military in the islands and thus an increased tension in the region.
On the contrary, the Chinese spokesperson reassured in the press briefing that the agreement is not targeted at any third party and conforms to the shared interests of the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific region.
The nature of the agreement is normal exchanges and cooperation between the two sovereign and independent states, Wang said.
He highlighted that security cooperation aims at promoting social stability and long-term peace in the Solomon Islands while maintaining social order, protecting people’s lives and property, humanitarian assistance, and responding to natural disasters.
The security deal is the first of its kind for China in the Indo-Pacific, experts said.
Solomon Islands’ PM also confirmed the development
The Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare also confirmed the signing of an agreement with China, during his speech at the Parliament.
“Let me assure the people that we entered into an arrangement with China with our eyes wide open, guided by our national interests,” the Solomon PM said. “We have full understanding of the fragility of peace, and our duty as a state is to protect all people, their property and critical national infrastructures.”
The PM termed the pact as the “beginning of something more serious” in the region.