Deepening Solomons-China relationship a ‘wake-up call’

Leading Australian experts say the secret deals signed between the two nations reveal flaws in Australian public policy in a site of vital strategic interest.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 10. Picture: Supplied

Deals between Solomon Islands and China are a “wake-up call” for Australia, experts say.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare recently travelled to Beijing to sign deals between the two nations, details of which Australia and its allies have called on to be made public. One of the deals will reportedly enhance China’s police presence in the Pacific nation.

“Mr Sogavare is using his relationship with Beijing to stay in personal power and he’s clearly talking about getting security help from China that he will use against his population,” said Strategic Analysis Australia director Michael Shoebridge.

“He clearly has an intention of increasing even further the Solomon Islands police capacity to control the Solomons population and unfortunately that looks like it’s primarily driven by his desire to stay in personal power.”

The ANU’s John Blaxland said the deals would support Mr Sogavare’s “illiberal behaviour”.

“China’s basically helped marginalise his political opponents,” Professor Blaxland said. “The security assistance, the police assistance are all consistent with the consolidation of Manasseh Sogavare’s control.”

China and Solomon Islands signed a security pact during last year’s Australian federal election campaign, which saw a hurried diplomatic visit by then-Pacific minister Zed Seselja.

That pact raised fears it presaged a Chinese military presence in the Pacific nation, less than 2000km from Queensland.

The new Labor government launched a “charm offensive” to the Solomons, including high-ranking visits from Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Professor Blaxland said Solomon Islands continued to be of vital strategic importance to Australia.

“Most Australians forget and they don’t really realise that in 1942, the main battle was not in Kokoda,” he said. “It was in Guadalcanal. It was in the Solomon Islands. The reason ... was because to cut off Australia from North America, all you had to do was operate out of places like Henderson Airfield in Solomon Islands and you could interdict the lines of communications between Australia and North America.

“The significance of the real estate has not changed.

“For Australia’s access and influence to be under threat isn’t something that’s going to lead to a catastrophe tomorrow, but speaks to a long-term challenge for Australia.”

Mr Shoebridge said while the government’s initial “charm offensive” was successful, the changing dynamics of Solomon Islands showed Australia’s policy approach had led to “failure”. “A failure of engagement, leading to the opportunity for Beijing. The thing that’s failed is seeing defence co-operation and aid as the two pillars of the Australian South Pacific policy,” he said.

“One big policy idea ... is for us to broaden the Closer Economic Relations (agreement) ... between Australia and New Zealand to small Pacific states – to move them away from an aid-dependent relationship to one where there’s shared prosperity by joining the economics of Australia, New Zealand, and small Pacific states.”