United States officials have warned of potential military action if Chinese authorities opt to establish a base in Solomon Islands as Beijing dismissed speculations that it was trying to build a military stronghold in the region after signing a security agreement.
During a Monday news briefing, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the "so-called Chinese military base in Solomon Islands is completely fabricated." The official noted that the speculation was disinformation made by a few people with ulterior motives.
Chinese Base in Solomon Islands
A leaked draft of the agreement was spread last month that said Chinese warships could stop in Solomon Islands for logistical replenishment. It also claimed that China would be able to send police and armed forces to the area to "assist in maintaining social order."
In a statement, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has insisted that no Chinese military bases would be established in his country. Wang's remarks also came after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday said that China's recent security deal with the Pacific nation was a "shared concern" of regional nations, as per ABC.
Furthermore, Morrison said that Beijing establishing a military base in Solomon Islands was a "red line" for his country. Last week, Defense Minister Peter Dutton warned that China would not waste any time in trying to expand its presence in the South Pacific after the controversial security deal.
In response, one of the most senior United States officials in the Pacific has refused to rule out military action against Solomon Islands if it allowed China to establish a base in its territory. They said that the recent security agreement between the two nations presented "potential regional security implications" for the U.S. and its allies.
According to The Guardian, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Ambassador Daniel Kritenbrink, was part of a high-level U.S. delegation to the Pacific country last week. The official said that the U.S. team, which also included Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, had a 90-minute "constructive and candid" meeting with Sogavare.
Red Line for Australia and Allies
Over the weekend, Morrison said that his government was closely working with partners in New Zealand and the U.S. regarding the potential Chinese base in Solomon Islands. "We won't be having Chinese military naval bases in our region on our doorstep," said the Australian prime minister.
Solomon Islands, which houses roughly 700,000 people spread across several hundreds of islands, is located in strategically important waters in the South Pacific Ocean near Australia and New Zealand. The security agreement between the nation and China is a result of deadly riots in Solomon Islands last year. The resulting unrest and looting also led to the deaths of three civilians.
The security deal also comes as the Australian prime minister faces a challenging battle for re-election this year. The Labor Party is arguing that the government should have been able to do more to prevent the deal between Solomon Islands and China. In a statement, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said that the Labor Party would have been able to prevent the situation, Fox News reported.
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