Scott Morrison working behind scenes to stave off China’s Solomon Islands threat

Scott Morrison is working behind the scenes to try to head off a security pact between Solomon Islands and China.

Scott Morrison with Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare in Honiara in 2019. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison is working behind the scenes to try to head off a security pact between Solomon Islands and China, enlisting the support of “Pacific family” members Papua New Guinea and Fiji to lobby for the planned deal to be canned.

Efforts are under way across the government to try to convince Solomon Islands that Pacific nations can deal with any security issues it faces, but the Prime Minister is yet to speak directly to his counterpart, Manasseh Sogavare, about the matter.

It’s understood that Mr Morrison is holding off on a call to Mr Soga­vare for now, leaving PNG Prime Minister James Marape and Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to take the lead in talks on the matter with their fellow Melanesian leader.

Mr Morrison spoke on Monday to Mr Marape and Mr Bainimarama about Australia’s concerns on the framework security agreement, which could lead to establishment of a Chinese base 2000km off Australia’s northeast coast.

The calls came as Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said the government was “all over” the agreement, suggesting China wanted a naval base in the Solomons to put pressure on Australia.

“We are engaged because we are not blind to the tactics of other people who are going through the process of trying to restrict our capacity of movement and intimidate us,” he said. “I mean, they are not under threat from the Antarctic and New Zealand.”

He suggested the government and national security community had been aware of the agreement for some time, arguing that they were “not fools”.

Mr Morrison also declared the government had not been blindsided by the framework agreement, after Solomon Islands Opposition Leader Matthew Wale revealed in The Australian that he had warned Australia about the proposed deal in August last year.

“The reports that we have seen are not a surprise to us and are a reminder of the constant pressure and threats that present in our region to our own national security,” the Prime Minister said.

“This is an issue of concern for the region, but it has not come as a surprise. We have been long aware of these pressures. That's why we had the Pacific Step-up. That’s why we doubled our effort.”

In a scheduled statement to the country’s parliament tomorrow, Mr Sogavare is expected to reiterate his support for the security agreement with China. The speech follows a statement by his office on Friday declaring the draft agreement was in line with its foreign policy of being “friends to all, enemies to none”.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday said the planned security pact was “gravely concerning … We were in contact with Solomon Islands, even at leader level, myself and the (Solomons) Prime Minister, at the end of last year,” she said.

“We expressed concern over the direction of travel the Solomons was taking in terms of the security arrangements with China.”

Australia has in recent days scrambled to remind Solomon Islands of the billions in Australian government support for the country, including the $200m Coral Sea cable and $150m a year in development assistance.

Australia also deployed 200 Australian Federal Police, Australian Defence Force and Foreign Affairs personnel to the country last year to help quell rioting in the capital Honiara that had threatened Mr Sogavare’s leadership.