Solomon Islands PM makes guarantee about security pact with China

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister has made a big guarantee about his country’s controversial security pact with China.

The Solomon Islands Prime Minister has promised his country’s controversial security pact will never result in a Chinese military base in his country.

Manasseh Sogavare said Australia remained the “security partner of choice” for the Solomon Islands and he would only call on China to send security personnel to the country if Australia could not meet a request for assistance.

Mr Sogavare made the guarantee in an interview with Guardian Australia, Radio New Zealand and the Solomon Islands national broadcaster on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in the Fijian capital of Suva on Thursday.

Mr Sogavare said having a foreign military base in his country would undermine regional security, make the Solomon Islands an “enemy” and “put our country and our people at targets for potential military strikes”.

“Let me assure you all again, there is no military base, nor any other military facility or institutions in the agreement. And I think that’s a very important point that we continue to reiterate to the family in the region,” said.

Anthony Albanese and Manasseh Sogavare embrace as they meet for the first time. Picture: ABC News

He made the comments, which were reported locally by Guardian Australia, in his first media interview since the details of the draft security pact between Honiara and Beijing were leaked in March.

The deal was signed in April in the final weeks of the Morrison government’s time in office.

It sparked widespread alarm among Australia, New Zealand and US officials over fears it could lead to a permanent Chinese military presence in the Pacific.

Anthony Albanese has said he is now “very confident” that China will not establish a military base in the Solomon Islands after he met with Mr Sogavare for the first time.

Mr Albanese and Mr Sogavare had a ‘constructive’ meeting. Picture: Joe Armao / AFP

The prime ministers greeted each other with open arms when they met on Wednesday in Suva, where they have joined the PIF with other political leaders from the region.

“I need a hug,” Mr Sogavare said as he and Mr Albanese embraced and then laughed. The pair held their first bilateral talks and went on to sit next to each other at a dinner that night.

Mr Albanese said on Thursday his meeting with Mr Sogavare had been “very constructive”.

“I sat with him at dinner last night. One of the things we need to do is build personal relations between Australia and our friends in the Pacific to make sure that our interests, but also their interests, are protected,” he told the Today show.

Asked if there would be a Chinese military bases in Solomon Islands, Mr Albanese replied: “No, I’m very confident that won’t happen”.

Mr Albanese says the Morrison government made an ‘error of judgment’. Picture: Joe Armao / Pool / AFP

Mr Albanese was then jokingly asked if he whispered to Mr Sogavare to “tear up the security deal with China” as he hugged him.

“No, look, they’re a sovereign nation. We’ve got to respect that,” he replied.

But he made clear his position that having a Chinese military base in the Pacific would not be in Australia’s best interests, particularly given the Solomon Islands is less than 2000km off the coast of Queensland.

Mr Albanese a day earlier had reiterated his surprise at how the previous government had responded to the agreement between China and the Solomon Islands.

“I was quite frankly stunned that, in spite of the briefings and the foreshadowing of events in the region, all we saw was (junior minister) Zed Seselja make a visit far too late,” he told reporters in Suva on Wednesday.

“We didn’t have that presence at prime ministerial or ministerial level. And I think that was an error of judgment on Australia’s behalf at the time.”

The meeting between Mr Albanese and Mr Sogavare occurred on the same day that US Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the Biden administration would triple its spending in the Pacific over the next decade.

The $A889m investment will include new US embassies in Tonga and Kiribati as well as the crafting of an inaugural national strategy for the region.