Australia has publicly asked the Solomon Islands to “consider not signing” its draft security deal with the Chinese government, ramping up pressure on the Pacific country to ditch the controversial agreement.
Australian Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja made an unusual mid-election campaign visit to the Solomon Islands on Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. He said he had conveyed Australia’s discomfort with the deal, which would see Chinese warships have a safe harbor in the region.
“We have asked Solomon Islands respectfully to consider not signing the agreement and to consult the Pacific family in the spirit of regional openness and transparency, consistent with our region’s security frameworks,” Seselja said in a statement.
It comes after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele on Tuesday about plans for an American embassy in the Pacific nation. The two officials also talked about “joint efforts to broaden and deepen engagement between our countries in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement Tuesday.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in February that the U.S. planned to open an embassy in Honiara, the island nation’s capital, in a bid to counter China’s influence. The U.S. currently has a consulate there.
See also: US Military Leader Warns Chinese Security Deal With Solomon Islands Sounds ‘Too Good To Be True’