Australian minister dispatched to Solomon Islands over China deal

Australia is sending a senior minister on an urgent overseas mission as concerns grow over a Pacific nation’s security deal with China.

Australia’s Pacific Minister has been dispatched on an urgent trip to Honiara to discuss concerns about the Solomon Islands’ new security deal with China.

Pacific Minister Zed Seselja will on Tuesday evening fly to the Pacific island nation’s capital city to meet with officials as the Australian government seeks to smooth over diplomatic tensions.

The security agreement has sparked alarm among Australian officials because it would allow Beijing to expand its military presence in the Pacific by sending armed forces to Solomon Islands in exchange for additional aid.

The Solomon Islands government rejected lobbying from Australia and New Zealand to reconsider the deal, which, if finalised, may allow Chinese navy ships and defence personnel to be based in the developing Pacific country.

Solomon Islands President Manasseh Sogavare has called foreign criticism of the security agreement insulting.

Senator Seselja said Australia had “stood strongly as a partner and a friend of Solomon Islands” and respected its right to make sovereign decisions about its national security.

“We look forward to ongoing engagement with Solomon Islands, and with our Pacific family members, on these very important issues,” he said before his departure.

“Our view remains that the Pacific family will continue to meet the security needs of our region.”

Senator Seselja said “direct engagement” with Solomon Islands had been ongoing, including discussions between Foreign Minister Marise Payne and her counterpart Jeremiah Manele.

Pacific Minister Zed Seselja has been dispatched on an urgent trip to Honiara. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Senator Seselja said he had engaged in discussions of his own with Pacific partners in Brisbane over the weekend before the Our Ocean Conference in Palau, which runs from Wednesday to Thursday.

“Australia will always support our Pacific family, reflected in our ‘Pacific step up’,” he said.

“This includes our enhanced co-operation on Covid-19 resilience and economic recovery, health, infrastructure, climate resilience, security and other shared challenges.”

Scott Morrison has been keen to stress his government’s record in the Pacific. Picture: AFP

The Morrison government has been eager to stress its ties to its smaller Pacific neighbours since news of the security agreement broke last month.

Scott Morrison earlier on Tuesday had downplayed the prospect of China establishing a military base in Solomon Islands.

“Well, you heard from the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, that is not something that they would allow to occur. He made that very clear,” he told reporters in Parramatta.

“We’re continuing to press on the issue of rotation, possible rotation of vessels or others that might seek to go to Solomon Islands.”

Senator Seselja said he would spend Tuesday and Wednesday in Honiara.

Originally published as Australian minister dispatched to Solomon Islands over China deal