China says it has signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, a move set to heighten the concerns of Australia, New Zealand and the United States about the growing influence of Beijing in the region.
The framework pact was recently signed by State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Tuesday at a regular briefing in Beijing.
He did not give details of where, or precisely when, the signing took place.
Canberra is concerned the pact, details of which have not been made public, could be a step towards a Chinese military presence less than 2000 kilometres from Australia.
Earlier on Tuesday the Pacific islands nation was told China would send officials to the Solomons next month to sign co-operation pacts.
Although officials had previously initialled a security pact that would allow Chinese police to protect infrastructure and social order, ministers had not yet signed it.
Last week, Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja travelled to Honiara to ask Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare not to sign the pact.
On Monday, the White House said a high-level US delegation including Indo-Pacific co-ordinator Kurt Campbell would travel to Honiara this week to discuss concerns about China, as well as the reopening of a US embassy.
“Deliberate attempts to inflate tensions and mobilise rival camps are also doomed to fail,” Wang, the Chinese spokesman, said on Tuesday, when asked about the scheduled visit.
Honiara’s parliament was on Tuesday told by Douglas Ete, chairman of the public accounts committee, Chinese foreign ministry officials would arrive next month.
“The PRC foreign affairs is heading to Honiara in the middle of May to sign multilateral agreements and cooperations with the Solomon Islands government,” he said, referring to the country’s formal name of the People’s Republic of China.
Ete said the visit meant the two nations would increase co-operation on trade, education and fisheries, but added he rejected the idea of the Solomons signing a security pact with China to set up a military base.
Sogavare told parliament the proposed security agreement would not include such a base.
