China finalising security deal with Solomon Islands to base warships in the Pacific

Solomon Islands has signed a policing deal with China and will send a proposal for a broader security agreement covering the military to its cabinet for consideration.

The arrangements are also likely to worry the United States, which said in February it would open an embassy in Solomon Islands after senior US administration officials expressed concern China wanted to create military relationships in the Pacific islands.

Solomon Islands switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019, which partly fuelled discontent that led to riots in the capital, Honiara, in November.

Australia has historically provided security support to Solomon Islands and led a policing mission to restore order in the wake of riots, at the request of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Karen Galokale, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services in Solomon Islands, told Reuters a cooperation agreement signed between Solomon Islands and China covered policing. She confirmed a wider agreement was being discussed.

Australia has a bilateral security agreement with Solomon Islands, covering the deployment of police and armed forces, signed in 2018.

Galokale also attended the virtual meeting.

A draft copy of a security MOU circulated on social media states it would cover Chinese police, armed police and the military assisting Solomon Islands on social order, disaster response and protecting the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in Solomon Islands.

Galokale said she was aware of the social media reports and would not speculate on the timing for the process to approve a security cooperation deal with China.

On Tuesday, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force published photographs on its website of police training with replica guns provided by China.

In November, about 200 police and soldiers from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea arrived in Honiara within days of the riots to help restore order.

Galokale said the policing arrangement with China was the same as arrangements Solomon Islands already had with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.