He also said Australia remained the “security partner of choice” for the Solomon Islands and would only invite China to send security personnel to the country if there was a “gap” Australia could not fill. Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, RNZ and SIBC in his first media interview since signing the controversial security deal with China earlier this year, Manasseh Sogavare said it was time for the world to “trust us”. “Let me assure you all again, there is no military base, no other military installations or institutions in the agreement. And I think that’s a very important point that we continue to reiterate in the district family,” he said. News of the deal with China caused huge concern among Western countries, particularly the language in the text that said China could “conduct ship visits.” But Sogavare disputed claims it would lead to a military base in the country, which is less than 2,000 kilometers from Australia’s east coast. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s not in anyone’s interest, it’s not in the region’s interest to establish any military base in any Pacific island country, let alone in the Solomon Islands,” Sogavare said. “I think the reason is simple. The reason is regionalism, the moment we establish a foreign military base, we immediately become an enemy. And we are also setting our country and our people as targets for possible military strikes.” Sogavare also said Chinese security personnel would only be invited to the Solomon Islands by the Solomon Islands government if Australia could not meet requests for security assistance from the government. “If there is any loophole, we will not allow our country to go down. If there is a gap, we will ask for support from China. But we’ve made it very clear to the Australians, and many times when we have that conversation with them, that they’re a partner of choice … when it comes to security issues in the region, we’ll call them first.” But the assurances appeared to contrast with Sogavare’s comments last week, in which he praised China as a “worthy partner” while saying relations with some countries “at times can go sour”, in an apparent reference to Australia. He also said he wanted China to play a permanent role in his country’s police training and welcomed donations of police vehicles and drones from Beijing. Manasseh Sogavare, right, with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in May. Photo: Anonymous/AP Sogavare spent much of his time at the 51st Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Fiji this week, allaying fears that his country would host China’s first military presence in the Pacific. He said: “We will do nothing to endanger any member of our family in the Pacific.” “What I was saying with the signing of the agreement between the countries [is that it is a] dominant issue of the countries involved. However, we also appreciate that the Solomon Islands are part of the Pacific family. This is how we have ensured that the agreement does not in any way undermine the security of the region.” Sogavare has so far not responded to media inquiries about the security agreement, which was leaked in late March. But on Thursday he condemned journalists for contributing to the misinformation, saying: “Our office is always open. The employees are there and I am also accessible.” He accused the media of “contributing to disinformation and then blowing it[ing] things out of proportion and said he hoped the interview would “give us a chance to clear the air”. Sogavare’s assurances come as other Pacific leaders have expressed concerns about China’s efforts to divide the region and fear that China will try to restore a sweeping economic and security deal to the region. The deal, which was proposed to 10 leaders during Wang Yi’s marathon tour of the region in June, was rejected, but China has said it will bring the agreement back at a later date. “I figured they’d never stop trying, right?” said Surangel Whipps Jr, president of Palau, speaking on the sidelines of PIF. “I mean, if they wanted to, they’d keep pushing.” Palau, which has diplomatic relations with Taiwan and not China, was not one of the 10 countries proposed for the deal, and Whipps said that by excluding some Pacific Island countries, it “weakens the deal”. “I think it’s an attempt to divide the Pacific again. Once we got back together, let’s stay together,” he said. “If we are true brothers in the Pacific, let us ensure that it does not affect our peace and security and our prosperity in the future. You know, we respect the sovereignty of the people, but also collectively let’s see how this affects all of us. Daniel Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia, expressed serious concerns about the proposed regional deal with Pacific leaders in a scathing letter warning that such a security pact could put Pacific countries at the “center of future confrontation between them of the great powers”. . Forum partner countries such as the US, China and Japan are usually invited to attend a post-forum dialogue meeting where they can make presentations, but this year the partner dialogue will not be held during the summit week. China has been urged not to participate in this year’s PIF by forum chairman Frank Bainimarama, the prime minister of Fiji. Panuelo confirmed that this was to give Pacific leaders some respite from intense geopolitical tension. “That’s absolutely what our membership feels like,” he said. Panuelo said the regional deal had not yet returned to Pacific nations from China and would not be discussed by leaders at Thursday’s retreat. “It will not be discussed. Our issues are what is in the interest of our Pacific community, things that affect the 2050 strategy, climate change, the Suva agreement [that resolves the fracture in the PIF with Micronesian countries].” However, Panuelo expected to return to the Pacific nations when the partners’ next dialogue forum takes place, which may take place in September, on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Leaders’ Conference.
