Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Solomon Islands Assure Australia on Chinese Base, Leaves Some Wiggle Room

by Cobus van Staden
File image of China's ambassador to the Solomon Islands Li Ming and Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare cutting a ribbon during the opening ceremony of a China-funded national stadium complex in Honiara. Mavis PODOKOLO / AFP

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands assured Australia’s visiting Foreign Minister Penny Wong that China won’t be allowed to build a permanent military base there. 

Wong told journalists: “I welcomed Prime Minister Sogavare’s reassurances that there will not be a military base nor persistent foreign military presence in the Solomon Islands.” The commitment could cool down inflamed relations with Canberra over Honiara’s recent security pact with China. 

…

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More

You Might Like

A Full-on Freak Out is Underway About China’s New Security Pact With the Solomon Islands

A joint security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China is sparking considerable anxiety among government officials, security analysts, and scholars in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States who see it as ...

Rear Admiral Gives the Clearest Hint to Date About Why the U.S. Is So Concerned About a Chinese Military Base in West Africa

One of the Pentagon’s most senior military officers for Africa provided the clearest indication so far as to why the United States is becoming increasingly anxious over the purported Chinese ambition to build a military ...

Why Are Australians So Freaked Out About China’s Security Deal With the Solomon Islands? Because They Saw What Happened in Djibouti

China’s promises that its new security pact with the Solomon Islands is not a precursor to the PLA building a new military installation in the South Pacific carry very little weight with Australian ...

What is The China-Africa Project?

Independent

The CAP is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Africa stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalist and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Africa discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Subscribe