The Solomon Islands envoy to Australia said the Chinese police deployed there would be under the jurisdiction of the local force and would not be able to use the harsh tactics seen in cities such as Hong Kong. “We will ensure that things that happen in other countries, such as Hong Kong, do not happen in our own country,” Robert Sicilo, the High Commissioner for the Solomon Islands in Australia, told ABC Radio on Monday. Sicilo’s comments follow concerns about China’s growing influence in the Solomon Islands, a Pacific island nation of 700,000, after the two countries signed a security pact last month. Under the terms of the agreement, China could send armed police there to help maintain “social order.” Sicilo said that as soon as the Chinese police arrived in the Solomon Islands, they would be under local administration. The agreement is no different from the one shared by Australia and the Solomon Islands. During the riots in Solomon Islands in late November, Canberra sent more than 70 security personnel at the request of the island government. “The prime minister has told us that we are trying to diversify our sources of aid, and in this case, we look forward to China providing that kind of support, just as Australia and other countries are providing the same level of support,” Sicilo said in an interview. . Both Australia and the United States are concerned that the new pact could give China a military base in the Pacific. The “broad nature of the security agreement leaves the door open for the development of the PRC [People’s Republic of China] “military forces in the Solomon Islands,” the State Department said in a statement. In Australia, the deal has sparked a search for souls in its relationship with the island nation and other Pacific nations also sought by China. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has repeatedly denied that China could build a base, while Sisilo told ABC that his government is “on alert” for development deals that could give China control over major projects. infrastructure. Countries like the Solomon Islands may want to avoid the mistakes of Sri Lanka, which was forced to hand over its port infrastructure to China in 2017 when it defaulted on a huge loan.
