'Insulting': Solomon Islands premier rubbishes criticism of China security deal

ANKARA (AA) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Tuesday slammed foreign criticism of his country’s security agreement with China as “insulting.”

He told the parliament that the draft agreement has been finalized and is ready to be signed with Beijing, local news outlet Solomon Times reported.

“We find it insulting to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs, and that we have other motives in pursuing our national interests,” Sogavare was quoted as saying.

He was referring to statements from the US, Australia, and New Zealand expressing concerns over a deal that the Solomon Islands maintains is in the best interests of the country and in line with its policy to have friendly relations with all countries.

He said the country’s “security arrangements with Australia remain intact,” adding that “traditional security partners are always important,” the report said.

“But in moving forward it is clear that we need to diversify our relationship with other partners, and what is wrong with that?” he said.

Sogavare also rejected media reports that the new deal “will serve as a doorway for China to establish a military base in the Solomon Islands,” read the report.

“We know our boundaries, and we will not do anything that will cause unnecessary discomfort to our partners in the region,” he told lawmakers.

Sogavare said he has shared the text of the agreement and sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison explaining his government’s position.

Australia, a staunch US ally, is part of the Washington-led Quad group, along with Japan and India, a bloc aimed at curbing China’s growing influence in the region.

Regarding the new deal, Australia has said it “would be particularly concerned by any actions that undermine the stability and security of our region, including the establishment of a permanent presence such as a military base.”

A US State Department official said last week the agreement “would only fuel local, regional, and international concerns over Beijing’s unilateral expansion of its internal security apparatus to the Pacific.”

Beijing has dismissed the criticism and called out the detractors for their hypocritical behavior.

“Relevant countries should earnestly respect Solomon Islands’ sovereignty and its independent decisions instead of deciding what others should and should not do self-importantly and condescendingly from a privileged position,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday.

He said the countries pushing against the deal have been “deliberately hyping up tension and stoking bloc confrontation that cast a pall on regional peace and stability.”

“Who has been sending military aircraft and vessels right to others’ doorsteps, flexing muscles for years and severely threatening relevant countries’ sovereignty and security? Who has been forming military circles that bring nuclear proliferation risks to the Pacific Ocean?” he questioned.

“The international community can make a fair judgement, and the people of Solomon Islands and other Pacific island countries can see this clearly. Any attempt to disrupt and undermine mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Pacific island countries is doomed to fail.”

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid