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Solomon Islands says China deal won’t include military


Nepalnews
AP
2022 Apr 01, 7:55, Wellington
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, left, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Oct. 9, 2019. In an announcement Thursday, March 31, 2022, China and the Solomon Islands have signed a draft version of a security pact that could see Chinese police and other forces taking up duties in the Pacific Island nation, drawing concerns from traditional partners New Zealand, Australia and the United States. (Photo credit: AP)

Seeking to counter international fears over its new security alliance with China, the Solomon Islands said Friday it won’t allow China to build a military base there.

But that insistence will do little to ease concerns about the pact from the nation’s traditional partners that include New Zealand, Australia and the United States.

The leader of neighboring Micronesia added his voice to those expressing trepidation by invoking the bloody battles of World War II and warning that the pact could again see the South Pacific region become a battleground for much larger powers.

The Solomon Islands government said Thursday a draft agreement of the new security pact had been initialed by representatives from the Solomons and China and would be “cleaned up” and signed.

In a statement Friday, the Solomon Islands government said that “contrary to the misinformation promoted by anti-government commentators” the agreement did not invite China to establish a military base.


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