BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
PRIME Minister Matthew Cooper Wale has announced that his government will review the controversial Solomon Islands-China Security Cooperation Agreement signed in 2022.
The announcement was made during his recent visit to Australia, where he met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and senior government officials.
Speaking to Australian media, Wale confirmed that his government had obtained a copy of the security agreement after changes were made to key government positions.
However, he said the agreement will not be made public because it contains a non-disclosure clause.
“We are going to be reviewing it as we are reviewing other security agreements that we have with many other countries,” Wale said.
His announcement comes as Australia intensifies efforts to strengthen security ties with Solomon Islands.
Prime Minister Albanese is expected to visit Honiara following discussions held in Canberra last month, where both leaders explored opportunities for closer cooperation.
According to media reports, Australia is seeking to negotiate a new security treaty with Solomon Islands as strategic competition in the Pacific continues to intensify.
Despite growing interest from regional and international partners, Wale has reiterated that Pacific nations must remain in control of their own future.
Addressing Pacific Islands Forum leaders in Suva last week, he said geopolitics is no secret in the Pacific and urges Forum members to remain focused on their own priorities rather than those of external powers.
Wale said the increasingly complex geopolitical environment presents new challenges that could divert the region’s shared goals and priorities.
“We welcome that interest and we value our partnerships. But we must always remind ourselves that our development agenda must remain one that is conceived, driven and owned by the Pacific,” he said.
Wale said development partners should support and complement Pacific ambitions rather than define or shape them.
The Solomon Islands-China Security Cooperation Agreement was signed in April 2022 under the government of former Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
The agreement allows Solomon Islands to request Chinese police and military personnel to assist in maintaining social order.
It also permits Chinese naval vessels to visit Solomon Islands for replenishment, logistical support and stopovers.
The pact attracted widespread international attention, particularly from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, over concerns it could eventually lead to the establishment of a permanent Chinese military presence in Solomon Islands, located less than 2,000 kilometres from Australia’s coastline.
Australia also criticised the agreement for its lack of transparency, noting that the full contents of the pact were not publicly released.
China has consistently rejected claims that the agreement is intended to establish a military base, describing the cooperation as a normal bilateral security arrangement.
Domestically, public opinion on the agreement has been divided.
While some Solomon Islanders have expressed concern over its secrecy and strategic implications, others view China as an important development partner following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in September 2019.
Since then, China has funded and supported a number of infrastructure and development projects across Solomon Islands, contributing to the country’s growing portfolio of development assistance.
Photo credit: PINA (Pacific Islands News Association)
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