Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 16 Apr 2022, 11:10 am Print
US-Solomon Islands-China File image of Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby by US Navy on Flickr via Wikimedia Commons
Washington: The United States Defence Department has expressed concern over the possible security pact between China and the Solomon Islands and said it leaves the door open for deployment of Chinese military forces to the Pacific nation.
“We believe that signing such an agreement could actually increase destabilisation within the Solomon Islands and could set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a press conference as quoted by The South China Morning Post.
“Obviously we are concerned about this,” he added.
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File photo of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare by Office of the President, Taiwan on Flickr via Wikimedia Commons
The move is raising concerns among foreign policy experts that the island country could become China’s military foothold in the South Pacific, posing a threat to Australia, reports the newspaper.
The Solomon Islands switched diplomatic ties towards Beijing from Taiwan in 2019.
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