Leftist New Zealand ‘Gravely Concerned’ by Chinese Military Deal with Solomon Islands

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) on Monday her government was “gravely” concerned by the Solomon Islands’ recent confirmation it signed a security pact with China.

The government of the Solomon Islands announced on March 25 it finalized a military agreement with Beijing. What appeared to be a draft of the pact allegedly leaked online on March 25 and was referenced by RNZ on March 28 when the public broadcaster interviewed Ardern.

RNZ asked Ardern about a section of the leaked document that alleged the Solomon Islands “would allow Beijing to station military forces on the islands and make regular ship visits.”

The prime minister responded by saying Wellington would interpret these specific actions “as a potential militarization of the region.”

Ardern added New Zealand would “also see very little reason in terms of the Pacific security for such a need and such a presence.”

“We do see this as gravely concerning,” she affirmed.

The Solomon Islands government confirmed its new security arrangement with China on March 25 following days of speculation on the matter by international media. The Pacific nation said it was developing and deepening its relations “with all partners including with China” in a press release issued by the Solomon Islands’ official government website.

The statement detailed some of the security pact’s arrangements and read, in part:

In diversifying the country’s security partnership including with China, the Government is working to sign off and implement a number of development frameworks with China to further create a secure and safe environment for local and foreign investments including Civil Aviation Services Agreement with China, Expanding Trade under Non Reciprocal Trading arrangement with China and sending more students to China for tertiary education in addition to those that left our shores this week.

The Solomon Islands is comprised of several small islands in the South Pacific and is located a short distance east of Papua New Guinea. The nation lies approximately 1,240 miles northeast of Australia and about 2,338 miles northwest of New Zealand.

The Solomon Islands signed a police training agreement with China in December 2021 after anti-government riots broke out in the country, which is home to fewer than one million residents. In accordance with the deal, a unit of nine Chinese state police officers arrived in the Solomon Islands in February to train local security forces in “anti-riot capabilities,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported at the time.