Probable cause for the diplomacy flurry around the islands over the Chinese built Solomon Is. Port facilities.
By Staff Writer
A Chinese 5-member delegation is visiting with the Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa next week in what is supposed to be a normal goodwill visit.
There are public speculations, however, that the diplomatic visit maybe related to recent warning comments by the Samoan leader of security risks to the islands region from China.
Australia’s ABC News reported a few weeks ago that PM Fiame is worried China may exploit its assistance to upgrade the Solomon Is. wharves to set up a military base.
Both China and the Solomon Is. have denied any military intentions after a Chinese state-owned contractor won a port upgrade contract for the island capital Honiara, funded by the Asian Development Bank.
ABC News quoted concerns by PM Fiame when Beijing moved to strike a pact with the Solomon Is. after the 2021 riots, which devastated several Chinese-owned businesses in Honiara.
“It was presented that China was wanting to bring in security personnel [to Solomon Islands] in a sense to protect those assets — physical and human,” Fiame reportedly told journalists in Canberra during a visit with Australia’s PM.
“Now is this going to be a trend where because one country has assisted and has assets, that this becomes an opportunity or a window by which security personnel come in?”
PM Fiame tried to tone down her fears of China’s intentions, “under the guise of protecting [their] assets”, as not the only major power that might want to secure further military access to the Pacific.
Reference was also made to other major powers already with military presence in the regional but were not specifically named.
China has strongly rejected PM Fiame’s anxious reactions which is cause for public speculations that the ‘goodwill visit’ next week maybe linked to attempts to ‘clear the air’.
Regional diplomacy, however, appears to have turned into a flurry of ‘goodwill visits’ from mainly Australia since the recent concerns voiced by the Samoan leader.
Australia’s Minister for the Pacific Pat Conroy dropped off AUSD$84m for Samoa to spend over the next 8 years, that included $34m tala for budget support.
The Minister’s more popular but smaller donation of AUSD$220 thousand went to a grateful Lakapi Samoa Rugby Union to cover expenses for the popular Manu Samoa along with other rugby developments.
Meanwhile his Cabinet colleague, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, opened up new grounds for Australia’s assistance on ‘critical mineral mining’ in New Caledonia.
A promise was also made to open up the PALM labour scheme for Pacific Islands to include the French territories.
Wong underlined the support offer with the promise that it”…. is one example of how Australia is working with Pacific partners to deliver for Pacific priorities and to build a more prosperous and more secure region.”
Her visit also tried to play down the explosive nuclear submarine controversy Australia has come under internally and from the islands member states as well.
The Foreign Affair Minister was in Samoa last bearing similar offers of Australia’s support.
Another popular visitor spreading goodwill in the region for the week is the New Zealand deputy PM Carmel Sepuloni, who led her delegation on a swing tour of the Solomon Is, Fiji and Tonga.
While in Fiji she signed up a 10-year partnership with the regional university that among other goals is “to lead on many of our hared priorities.”
For the first five years of this new partnership, Aotearoa New Zealand will contribute NZ$38.5m to support USP’s long-term planning, innovation, and stability.
The run of goodwill visits was supposed to include a rare trip to Samoa by the UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly who had to cancel at the last minute. (see other story)
The Chinese delegation is arriving to Samoa this Sunday 23 April 2023 after calling into Tonga yesterday 20 April 2023.
China’s former ambassador to Fiji, H.E. Qian Bo, is leading the 5-delegation as the Chinese Special Envoy for the Pacific Island Countries as well.
They will also meet with the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.