Security deal with Solomon Islands to expand military presence

Bangkok A South Pacific island nation becomes the scene of China’s latest attempt to expand its military presence far from its own borders. The Solomon Islands, a country in Oceania with a population of around 600,000, are planning a military agreement with the People’s Republic that would allow the government in Beijing to send soldiers and ships.

The decision caused great uncertainty in the neighboring countries of Australia and New Zealand. They see a possible Chinese military base in their immediate vicinity as a threat.

China’s planned military agreement with the Solomon Islands follows a pattern: With the help of targeted cooperation with comparatively small states, China’s President Xi Jinping is planning a number of potential military bases in strategically important locations in the Indo-Pacific.

In Cambodia, China is supporting the expansion of a naval base that Western governments believe Beijing is likely to use for its own purposes. The US also expects an expansion of the Chinese military presence in countries such as Sri Lanka and Myanmar.