US envoys visiting the Solomon Islands warned on Friday against any Chinese “military installation” in the Pacific archipelago. This warning follows the signing between the Solomons and Beijing of a security pact, enough to revive fears of a Chinese military installation.
It is in this tense context that the high-level American delegation, led by the officials in charge of Asia-Pacific at the White House and the State Department, Kurt Campbell and Daniel Kritenbrink, landed on Friday at the airport of the capital, Honiara, noted an AFP correspondent.
Received for 90 minutes by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, the diplomats could only reiterate the American warnings, taken aback by the formalization on Tuesday of the signing of the controversial agreement.
“serious concerns”
They warned that if Beijing were to move towards “establishing a permanent military presence” that would allow a Chinese deployment in the region, it would cause “serious concern” for the United States which would “retaliate accordingly”, reported. the White House in a statement.
A leaked draft version of the deal last month sent shockwaves through Australia and the United States, as it included proposals allowing Chinese police and naval deployments to the Solomon Islands. Since then, they have multiplied diplomatic efforts against this rapprochement. In vain.
A closely monitored development
France also judged this agreement “worrying” Thursday, worrying about “Chinese ambitions” in the Asia-Pacific region. A French territory, New Caledonia is located 500 km south of the coast closest to the Solomon Islands.
“In response to the concerns raised, Prime Minister Sogavare reiterated his assurances specifically guaranteeing that there would be no military base, no long-term presence, and no force projection capabilities,” the statement said. American presidency. The United States stressed that it would follow developments closely.
Chinese inauguration
But the Americans have also tried to woo the islands by multiplying gestures towards them.
Among them, the acceleration of the opening of an American embassy, the strengthening of cooperation on unexploded mines, the dispatch of a hospital ship for public health assistance or the delivery of additional vaccines. .
The two countries have also pledged to launch a “high-level strategic dialogue” which will focus in particular on the sensitive issue of security.
Sign that the archipelago is at the heart of all attention: at the time of the arrival of the American delegation, the Chinese ambassador and Manasseh Sogavare inaugurated an athletics track that is part of a vast sports complex financed by China to host the 2023 Pacific Games.