Vital mission to Solomon Islands

Given what is at stake, it would be hard to overstate the importance of Pacific Minister Zed Seselja’s dash to see Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. It may be too late in the day for a last-ditch effort to dissuade Mr Sogavare from opening the way for China to establish a military base in the heart of the South Pacific, 2000km off the Australian coast. But every effort must be made to do so. Senator Seselja’s respectful “please” to Mr Sogavare to abandon the deal came as a top US foreign policymaker warned Mr Sogavare that China would become the Solomons’ “owner and minder” if he pushed ahead with the agreement with Beijing. US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Bob Menendez said it was not in the interests of the US, Australia or Solomon Islands for a Chinese base to be established in the Pacific nation, which needed to “understand what it means to all of us if that were the pathway forward”.

The Solomon Islands government announced a week ago that a draft of the security agreement with China had been “initialled”. All that remained was for it to be “cleaned up” and signed. Mr Sogavare needs to consider the danger of exposing his nation to the bullying and “debt diplomacy” coercion other countries across the region have regretted after getting close to Beijing.

Other Pacific nations, particularly Papua New Guinea and Fiji, should join in exerting pressure on Honiara. All are tried and trusted friends of the Solomons. That was seen in November last year when Australia and other nations, at considerable cost, rapidly answered Mr Sogavare’s pleas for help when anti-government riots swept Honiara. Australia’s 2021-22 budget provided $156m in development aid to the Solomons. Since 2018, the Solomons also has received $320m in security, stability and health assistance. A “Chinese Cuba” in the South Pacific that allowed Chinese warships to operate from Solomon Islands ports would be an even more serious danger to small Pacific nations than to Australia and the US. Mr Sogavare is naive if he believes the security agreement will not lead to a Chinese base. NATO is stepping up co-operation with Asia-Pacific nations to counter Beijing’s ambitions, reflecting wider concerns about Chinese expansionism.