It seems that the United States is throwing its weight behind Australia’s bid to scupper the security cooperation agreement reached between China and the Solomon Islands, with Kurt Campbell, who serves as the U.S. National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, reportedly paying a trip to the South Pacific nation this month.
The tiny island country has already received visits from two of Australia’s top intelligence chiefs, and Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja made a “rare” visit to the Solomon Islands on Tuesday.
Indicating the reason for Campbell’s trip, Admiral Samuel J Paparo, the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, described the proposed security pact as a “secret” arrangement that worried the U.S. and its partners.
As a small country, the Solomon Islands must feel overwhelmed by such sudden intensive diplomacy and the attention it is getting from Canberra and Washington.
Yet, focusing on such fields as disaster response, humanitarian assistance, development assistance and the maintaining of social order, the security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands is an arrangement between two sovereign and independent countries on the basis of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
The riots, which broke out in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands in November last year, caused severe economic losses, and have prompted the country to deepen its security partnerships with many countries, China included.
The security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands conforms with international law and does not target a third party, nor does it have any ulterior military purpose.
Yet, with no regard for the Pacific country’s sovereignty and its right to forge cooperation with other countries, both Australia and the U.S. are hyping up the outdated China threat theory and exerting diplomatic pressure on the Solomon Islands to ditch the security pact it signed with China.
Canberra and Washington have done little to cater to the development and security needs of Pacific Island countries in the past, despite viewing them as the “backyard” of Australia. Their newfound interest in the “security significance” of the Solomon Islands lays bare their intention to turn this region into a venue for a big power competition.
On Wednesday, the Solomon government refuted the misinformation that aims to distort facts and tarnish its good relations with China. The flagrant interference and diplomacy of coercion of Australia and the U.S. will only make them increasingly unpopular in the region.