China fishing deal reels in Solomon Islands
Beijing is vowing to build wharves, shipyards and submarine cables in the Solomon Islands, raising concerns the developments could be used by the Chinese military.
China is vowing to build wharves, shipyards and submarine cables in the Solomon Islands as Beijing moves to lock in closer security and economic ties with the nation’s government, raising concerns the developments could be used by the Chinese military.
A draft maritime co-operation agreement obtained by The Australian says the countries will co-operate to establish “deep-sea fishing bases” and develop oil, gas and undersea mining ventures, amid a Chinese push to gain preferential access to the region’s vast fisheries and mineral wealth.
The leaked “Blue Economy” memorandum of understanding is filled with Chinese bureaucratic language vowing “mutual benefit” and “win-win” co-operation to build “a maritime community with a shared future”.
But experts warned the agreement would work in tandem with the countries’ controversial security agreement, promoting “dual-use” infrastructure which could be used by the Chinese military.
A copy of the MOU obtained by The Australian is unsigned but dated “2022”, like the leaked Solomon Islands-China security deal when it first surfaced in March.
The document has emerged as Scott Morrison defends his government’s efforts to maintain Australia’s status as the Solomon Islands “security partner of choice”, amid claims by its Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, that Australia threatened his country “with invasion”.
The MOU says China and the Solomon Islands will conduct “investment co-operation” in key fields, including “port wharves, submarine optical cable construction, ship building and ship repair”, and undertake “exploration and development of offshore oil, gas and mineral resources”.
It will promote policies to “jointly establish marine economic co-operation parks and deep-sea fishing bases”, and pledges co-operation on “photovoltaic, wind power, tidal power and other clean energy” projects.
Solomon Islands Opposition Leader Matthew Wale said the MOU “seems to aim to give China comprehensive access to Solomon Islands’ economic sectors”.
“I’m guessing it was written in Beijing,” Mr Wale told The Australian.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence program director Michael Shoebridge said the MOU was typical of Chinese agreements in which “the nature and scale of activity is dictated by Beijing and its companies acting on its directions”.
He said the People’s Liberation Army would be “keen to take advantage” of the agreement, which would present the initiatives under a “commercial and development cloak”.
“They contain dual-use initiatives that are directly relevant to the Chinese military’s ability to operate in the South Pacific – like wharves, port and logistics facilities,” Mr Shoebridge said.
“Sogavare is clearly a passenger in Beijing’s initiatives, not the driver or shaper.”
Lowy Institute senior fellow for East Asia, Richard McGregor, said the document was “obviously entirely written by the Chinese”, and was similar to others struck with developing countries to “position China as the primary economic partner of the nation in question”.
“It gives them a seat at the table or a potential say in all manner of economic decisions taken in this case by the Solomon Islands government,” Mr McGregor said.
He said China was particularly interested in securing rights to the vast fisheries resources of the Pacific to help feed its 1.4 billion people.
“Fisheries is a major focus of the Chinese in the Pacific because all of these countries have absolutely massive exclusive economic zones, and the waters near China are fished out by local fishing boats. So the big prize for a country like China is a deal that gives them some sort of privileged access to the exclusive economic zones (of Pacific countries).”
Foreign Minister Marise Payne met with her Solomon Islands counterpart Jeremiah Manele in Brisbane on Friday night, in the first high-level meeting between the countries since news of the China security deal broke. According to a spokesman, she “reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency”.
The spokesman said the pair “agreed that Australia remains Solomon Islands’ security partner of choice”, and Senator Payne “welcomed Prime Minister Sogavare’s assurance that Solomon Islands will not be used for a foreign military base”.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese welcomed the meeting, declaring “it’s about time”. But he said Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong should have been included, given the government was in caretaker mode.
Australia’s relationship with the Solomon Islands has hit rock bottom amid the fallout from the country’s security agreement with China, which officials fear could open the way for a Chinese military base less than 2000km from Cairns. Mr Morrison declared such a development would be a “red line” for Australia, while the US vowed to “respond accordingly” if China established “power projection” capabilities in the country.
The warnings infuriated Mr Sogavare, who claimed in an extraordinary speech to parliament last week that his country was being treated like “kindergarten students walking around with Colt .45s in our hands”.
“We deplore the continual demonstration of lack of trust by the concerned parties, and tacit warning of military intervention in Solomon Islands if their national interest is undermined in Solomon Islands,” Mr Sogavare said.
“In other words, we are threatened with invasion.”
Join the conversation
Misconduct finding over WA ombudsman’s globetrotting
Chris Field created a ‘sham’ process to approve his own extensive travel to destinations around the world, WA’s Corruption and Crime Commission finds.
Read more
Why should an arts degree cost more than medicine?
Everyone agrees arts courses cost too much. But imagine how increasing what students pay to become teachers and nurses to subsidise humanities courses would go down in the electorate.
Read more