HONIARA (CU)_The recent security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands continue to make headlines, becoming a central issue of the federal election campaign in Australia. Participating in the Anzac Day service in Darwin, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia shares the same “red line” as the US that a Chinese military base in the South Pacific would be unacceptable. His comments followed a visit by a US delegation to the Solomon Islands, who warned Honiara that Washington will “respond accordingly” if its security agreement leads to a Chinese military presence in the Pacific archipelago.
This week, one of the most senior US officials in the Pacific revealed further details of the discussions in the Solomon Islands and what a response from Washington against a Chinese military base in the region would entail. The high-level US delegation which visited the Pacific nation included Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He said the group engaged in a “constructive and candid” meeting the leader of the Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
“We wanted to outline for our friends in the Solomons, what our concerns are,” Kritenbrink said. “Prime Minister Sogavare indicated that in the Solomon Islands’ view, the agreement they’ve concluded has solely domestic implications. But we’ve made clear that there are potential regional security implications of the agreement not just for ourselves, but for allies and partners across the region.”
He went on to reaffirm the intention of the US to take necessary measures if a military base were established by China in the region. The US delegation wanted to let Honiara know that “if steps were taken to establish a de facto permanent military presence, power projection capabilities, or a military installation, then we would have significant concerns, and we would very naturally respond to those concerns,” he said.
When inquired what that response would involve, Kritenbrink said he did not want to “speculate”, adding that “I’m not in a position to talk about what the United States may or may not do in such a situation”. Pressed on whether he would rule out military action by the US against the Pacific Island, he said: “I don’t have a lot to add beyond what I’ve already stated.”
