Security challenges of Chinese pact with the Solomon Islands

China and the Solomon Islands have signed a security pact which has ruffled several countries. The US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan all have expressed their concerns about this security pact, even though the Solomon Islands has reiterated that this is not aimed at any other country and its primary focus is its domestic security. The pact details have not been made public, and the announcement has been made unilaterally by Beijing. However, a leaked version states that this pact will allow China to dock its warships on the island.

Interestingly, the Solomon Islands had a similar security pact with Australia. The Australian security forces had been involved in maintaining peace on the island when protestors attempted to attack its parliament last year. So why is there so much concern with the pact with Beijing? It would appear that Australia and New Zealand consider this region to be their natural sphere of influence. This pact between China and the Solomon Islands dents this existing idea and provides Beijing with a significant foothold in the region. The US and Australia have been proactive in dissuading the Solomon Islands from continuing with this pact, however, to no avail.

Also Read | China 'likely' to put troops in Solomons, says Australia minister

Two of the top United States officials, Kurt Campbell and Daniel Kritenbrink, visited the Solomon Islands and expressed concerns about the deal's lack of transparency and objective. They also said that there needs to be a high-level strategic dialogue to address concerns related to the deal. There were also discussions regarding the prospect of reopening its embassy on the Solomon Islands, which was closed in 1993. On the other hand, in a statement, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia would be concerned if a military base is established and upsets the security and stability of the region.

An article in China Daily about the security pact has focused on the economic aspect and its backdrop. It argues that the Chinese forces will be allowed to use force to safeguard Chinese investments on the island under the security pact. China has invested heavily in the island. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, the Solomon Islands had switched its diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China in 2019 and has also joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) announced by Xi Jinping. China has also promised to construct oil and gas terminals on the island, and it is now its largest trading partner. China has invested around US$500 million on the tiny island. In 2019, there were reports that a Chinese company had attempted to lease an entire isle of Tulagi, which has deepwater ports. However, this deal never went through, and China received international criticism for trying this.

In the last few years, Beijing has renewed its focus on the Pacific islands and used its financial clout to attract diplomatic allies away from Taiwan. However, the latest security pact indicates that Beijing is keen to use its new found influence in the Pacific to increase its strategic foothold. The US, along with Australia, considers this area as its natural sphere of influence, and the push by Beijing to have a strong military foothold may appear to be a direct challenge to the existing order.

Even Taiwan has voiced concern over the recently concluded security pact, while New Delhi has reiterated its support for a free and open Indo-Pacific. In the recent past, China has used similar moves to gain a foothold in South Asia as a result of investments and aid provided to smaller nations. The most recent example is Hambantota. China has leased it for 99 years, with the option to extend it by another 99 years. It means that Hambantota may be under Chinese control for 198 years. This has increased criticism of Chinese intentions behind investments. The Sri Lankan example also shows that unchecked investments and deals with China can compromise the sovereignty of smaller nations.

Chinese investments in poor resource-starved countries have increased Beijing's influence. Most of the time, smaller nations have been unable to repay loans on time and have succumbed to the pressures, and it has resulted in China gaining access to land and resources. There have also been questions about the Chinese primary intentions behind extending such loans. China has also been facing issues in Africa for employing Chinese citizens on the projects financed by Beijing. China has invested in countries where it can manage to get a strategic advantage.

Given the history and outcome of Chinese investments, the logical outcome is Beijing gaining significant influence over the nations and domestic politics. With this backdrop, it is no surprise that Washington is concerned about the recent security pact and the clause that Chinese police and security personnel will have access to the Solomon Islands. This move also raises significant geostrategic challenges for Australia as the Solomon Islands provide Beijing with a monitoring outpost to track and follow the Australian Navy.

(Gunjan Singh is Assistant Professor, OP Jindal Global University.)

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