China will likely move fast to increase its presence in the Pacific after signing a security pact with the Solomon Islands, according to one senior analyst.
While China has ruled out establishing a military base in the Solomons, there is a risk Beijing will establish a “military base by stealth” in the next one to two years, Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Malcolm Davis says.
“The Chinese are a powerful player and once they get a presence, an influence in a country, it’s virtually impossible to get them out,” he told the Nine Network.
“I think the Chinese are going to move very fast. Because they will want to achieve a foothold there. Principally to cut Australia off from a key sea-land communication with the United States.”
Dr Davis says Australia should have shown more diplomacy with the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island nations.
“There has been a failure in diplomacy,” he said.
“But it’s important to note that whilst we attempt to support development in the Pacific Island states, the Chinese come in with bags of money and essentially buy out leadership and get what they want.”
Labor has branded the signing of a Sino-Solomons security pact as the worst Australian foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II.
Foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong says a Chinese security agreement with a nation 1600 kilometres from Cairns has made the region less secure.
“On Scott Morrison’s watch our region has become less secure and the risks that Australia faces have become much greater,” Senator Wong told the ABC.
“The government should have acted sooner. We live in a world where the strategic circumstances we face are riskier and more uncertain than in any time since the end of World War II.”
Despite repeated assertions from the Solomon Islands that Australia remains its security partner of choice, Senator Wong says the pact with China has demonstrated Canberra is no longer the go-to for Honiara.
“What this deal signifies is that Australia is no longer for the Solomon Islands a nation to whom they turn to meet their challenges in every instance,” she said.
Senior government minister David Littleproud has hit back at the opposition, saying leaders needed to act with restraint as the full extent of the deal is not yet known.
“No one has looked under the bonnet of how far it goes,” he told the ABC.
Mr Littleproud said political rhetoric risks inflaming the issue.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne added that criticism of the government doesn’t recognise the “the sovereign decisions that governments make for themselves”.
“It also doesn’t recognise the strength and the engagement that Australia has made through the Pacific step up,” Senator Payne told the ABC.
“We are looking at very serious geo-strategic challenges in our region.”
The foreign minister expressed her deep disappointment in the signing of the security agreement when it was made public by the Chinese on Tuesday night.
Senator Payne says Australia remains concerned about the lack of transparency regarding the agreement.
“This has not been agreed in an open and transparent way – not being consulted, for example, across the region,” she said.
“Security issues have been dealt with in a Pacific-wide manner, that’s the traditional approach for these issues, and that’s why some Pacific partners have also raised concerns.”
Pacific Minister Zed Seselja says Australia is not considering cutting its aid spending in retaliation to the announcement as Canberra continues to engage with the region.
