AUSTRALIA says it remains the “partner of choice” for Solomon Islands following talks with the Pacific state, which has reacted angrily to criticism of its recent security pact with China.

Australia’s foreign minister, Marise Payne, held talks with her Solomons counterpart in Brisbane last night, three days after the island state’s leader made a fierce attack on detractors of his China deal.

“We have reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency,” Payne said after the meeting with the Solomons’ foreign minister Jeremiah Manele. 

But “we agreed that Australia remains Solomon Islands’ security partner of choice”, she added. 

Last month’s security pact alarmed Australia and the United States, which fear it may give Beijing a military foothold in the South Pacific less than 2,000km from Australia’s coast.

Details of the final deal have not been released but a leaked draft included measures that would allow Chinese naval deployments to Solomon Islands.

Australia’s government is fighting criticism in the run-up to May 21 federal elections after apparently being outmanoeuvred by China in a region where it has traditionally held strong influence.

‘Lack of trust’

The concerns over the security deal have irked Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

“We deplore the continued demonstration of lack of trust by the concerned parties,” Sogavare told parliament on Tuesday, adding that he had already explained there was “nothing to be concerned about” with the China pact.

Without naming countries, Sogavare said Tuesday that there had been “warning of military intervention” if other nations’ interests were undermined in Solomon Islands.

“In other words, Mr Speaker, we are threatened with invasion. And that is serious,” the prime minister said.

“We are being treated as kindergarten students walking around with Colt 45s in our hands, and therefore we need to be supervised,” he added.

“We are insulted.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there had been no invasion threat from Australia, insisting that his government treated its Pacific allies as equals and urging a “calm and composed” approach.

Sogavare also accused Australian-led peacekeepers of failing to protect the capital Honiara’s Chinatown, much of which was burned when protests against his government escalated into riots last November.

Sogavare said a “personal envoy” of Morrison had briefed him when peacekeepers were deployed that they would not protect Chinese infrastructure, Chinese businesses and the Chinese embassy.

Chinatown could not be saved “because our police was overwhelmed”, Sogavare said, alleging that the peacekeepers could not help because of their rules of engagement.

The Solomon Islands government severed ties with Taiwan in September 2019 in favour of diplomatic relations with China, a switch that unlocked investment but stoked inter-island rivalries. – AFP, May 7, 2022.