‘Smearing China’: Beijing accuses Peter Dutton of ‘spreading disinformation’ after deal with Solomon Islands
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin singled out Australia’s Defence Minister after Mr Dutton suggested China used bribes to win deals with other countries.
China has launched an extraordinary personal attack on Peter Dutton and accused him of “smearing” Beijing with claims about the Communist nation’s pact with the Solomon Islands.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin singled out Australia’s Defence Minister after Mr Dutton suggested China used bribes to win deals with other countries.
His claims came on the back of the Solomon Islands signing a pact with China that will allow Beijing to send its military to the Pacific nation, at the request of its government.
Australia and US hold fears that Beijing harbours ambitions to build a military base on the island, which is approximately 1700km from Australia’s shores.
Speaking of Mr Dutton, Mr Wang said: “Certain Australian politicians are clinging to the Cold War mentality and smearing China with rumours to sow discord between China and countries it has friendly ties with. We regret and firmly oppose such moves.
“The politicians should earnestly face up to the concerns of people at home and abroad, instead of spreading disinformation to disparage China for their own political gains.”
Mr Wang, speaking at a press conference, said the pact with the Solomons - details of which have not been made public - was “open, transparent, legitimate, lawful and irreproachable”.
“The speculation that China will build a military base in Solomon Islands is pure disinformation fabricated by a handful of people who harbour ulterior motives,” he said.
“I have noted that the US and Australian accuse the framework agreement on security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands of not being transparent. However, it is the AUKUS security partnership that is neither open nor transparent.
“When will the US and Australia invite South Pacific island countries and other regional countries to review AUKUS cooperation?
“The US claims that China’s military presence will cause grave concerns. If we follow this logic, the nearly 800 military bases in 80 countries and regions across the world run by the US have long been of major concern for the world. When will the US shut down those bases?”
The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that the Pacific was “not a backyard of the US or Australia”.
Mr Dutton had earlier said that China was “incredibly aggressive”.
“The acts of foreign interference, the preparedness to pay bribes to get outcomes, to beat other countries to get deals. That’s the reality of modern China,” he said in recent days.
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Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has repeatedly said the pact between Beijing and Honiara was related to domestic security issues and would not involve the building of a Chinese military base in the Solomons.
But provisions in the leaked draft deal have stoked fears of a more permanent military presence - particularly measures that would allow Chinese naval deployments to the Pacific nation.
The United States has said it will “respond accordingly” if China sets up a military base in the Solomons.
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