Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said Friday his government would not allow a Chinese military base to be built in his country "under its watch" as he defended a pending security agreement with Beijing.

Sogavare, echoing a fiery speech he made to Honiara's parliament this week, dismissed concerns the deal would allow China a base in the South Pacific and labelled the claims as "misinformation promoted by anti-government commentators".

If China was to set up its military base in the Pacific, "it would have done so with either Papua New Guinea or Fiji," he said in a statement, arguing that they were among the first South Pacific nations to establish bilateral relations with Beijing.

"Government is conscious of the security ramification of hosting a military base, and it will not be careless to allow such initiative to take place under its watch," he said.

A draft version of the agreement, leaked last week, detailed measures to allow Chinese security and naval deployments to the crisis-hit Pacific island nation.

It would also allow armed Chinese police to deploy at the Solomon Islands' request to maintain "social order".

The "forces of China" would also be allowed to protect "the safety of Chinese personnel" and "major projects in the Solomon Islands".

Without the other party's written consent, neither would be allowed to disclose the missions publicly.

But Sogavare's comments did little to dissuade fears among Western allies, with Australia's Defence Minister Peter Dutton comparing the Russian invasion of Ukraine to Chinese ambitions in the region.

"I understand and respect Prime Minister Sogavare's perspective, but I think we need to be very cautious here because the Chinese are incredibly aggressive," Dutton told Sky News Australia.

"The tactics that they're deploying into small island nations is quite remarkable, and Australia has done more and more each year, but China is certainly on a pathway here, and I think President Zelensky understands that."

The island nation of 800,000 has been wracked by political and social unrest, and many of its people live in poverty.

In November, protesters tried to storm the parliament and went on a deadly three-day rampage, torching much of Honiara's Chinatown.

The unrest was sparked by opposition to Sogavare's rule and fuelled by unemployment and inter-island rivalries.

But anti-China sentiment also played a role.

Leaders on the most populous island of Malaita fiercely oppose Sogavare's decision to recognise Beijing and break ties with Taiwan in 2019.

China, Solomon Islands agree controversial security pact
Honiara (AFP) March 31, 2022 - The Solomon Islands on Thursday said it had inked a wide-ranging security pact with Beijing, an agreement Western allies fear will pave the way for the first Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific.

"Officials of Solomon Islands and the People's Republic of China have initialled elements of a bilateral Security Cooperation Framework between the two countries today," said a statement from the prime minister's office in Honiara.

It is now awaiting signature by foreign ministers of the two countries.

A draft version of the agreement, leaked last week, detailed measures to allow Chinese security and naval deployments to the crisis-hit Pacific island nation.

It included a proposal that "China may, according to its own needs and with the consent of the Solomon Islands, make ship visits to, carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands".

It would also allow armed Chinese police to deploy at the Solomon Islands' request, to maintain "social order".

The "forces of China" would also be allowed to protect "the safety of Chinese personnel" and "major projects in the Solomon Islands".

Without the written consent of the other party, neither would be allowed to disclose the missions publicly.

The leaking of the draft sent political shock waves across the region.

The United States and Australia have long been concerned about the potential for China to build a naval base in the South Pacific, allowing its navy to project power far beyond its borders.

Any Chinese military presence would likely force Canberra and Washington to change their military posture in the region.

Australia's Chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Greg Bilton said Thursday that the China-Solomon Islands pact would "change the calculus" of his country's operations in the Pacific.

The Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare dismissed critics of the deal in a fiery speech Tuesday, saying there was "no intention whatsoever... to ask China to build a military base in the Solomon Islands".

He added that it was "very insulting... to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs" by other nations.

- 'Grave security concerns' -

Word that the pact had been initialled came just hours after the president of the Federated States of Micronesia made public an impassioned plea to Sogavare to reconsider signing the deal.

President David Panuelo voiced "grave security concerns about this proposed agreement" in a March 30 letter to the leader, citing rising tensions between China and the United States.

"My fear is that we -- the Pacific Islands -- would be at the epicentre of a future confrontation between these major powers," Panuelo wrote.

In his letter to Sogavare, Panuelo asked the Solomons leader to consider the long-term consequences "for the entire Pacific region, if not the entire world" of signing the security pact.

There are also fears the deal could fuel domestic strife inside the Solomons.

The nation of 800,000 has been wracked by political and social unrest, and many of its people live in poverty.

In November, protesters tried to storm the parliament and went on a deadly three-day rampage, torching much of Honiara's Chinatown.

More than 200 peacekeepers from Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand were deployed to restore calm, and Sogavare avoided being deposed.

The unrest was sparked by opposition to Sogavare's rule and fuelled by unemployment and inter-island rivalries.

But anti-China sentiment also played a role.

Leaders on the most populous island of Malaita fiercely oppose Sogavare's decision to recognise Beijing and break ties with Taiwan in 2019.

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Pacific leader urges Solomons to rethink China pact
Sydney (AFP) March 31, 2022
The president of the Federated States of Micronesia has sent an impassioned plea to the Solomon Islands' prime minister, urging him to reconsider a controversial and "unprecedented" security pact with China. President David Panuelo voiced "grave security concerns about this proposed agreement" in a March 30 letter released by his government Thursday, citing rising tensions between China and the United States. "My fear is that we - the Pacific Islands - would be at the epicentre of a future con ... read more