Both major Australian political parties made mileage out of the new pact, and New Zealand and the USA were brought into the debate, as were some of the Pacific nations. It was an occasion that required the Foreign Minister, not the junior Minister for the Pacific. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare escaped the security pact issue as discussions were limited to bilateral relationships and development projects respecting national sovereignty.
America has had no embassy in Solomon Islands since , managing with a local Consular Officer. The Solomon Islands has never before received so many important political visitors over such a short time, all bearing gifts, with promises of more to come. Nevertheless, these fly-in and fly-out envoys are seen as disrespectfulβhigh pressure salesmen with no long-term engagement. Sogavare must be smiling at one outcome. Undoubtedly Solomon Islands will now receive more development aid than ever before.
Wang Yi offered Solomon Islands a new police training centre and extra infrastructure funding. At 67 years of age Sogavare remains very fit and is a commanding charismatic figure. He is not ignorant of the risks he is taking in moving closer to China.
However, is this well-educated teetotaller martial arts expert and seasoned politician, really in control of what is happening? While we try to double-guess the motivations of the governments of China and Solomon Islands, two points are missing.
The first is detailed analysis of the character and political track record of Manasseh Sogavare, and his relationship with China and Australia. I will also discuss the site for a hypothetical Chinese base, suggesting that perhaps we are misled in our thinking around what constitutes a base, as there already are two large Chinese corporate bases close to Honiara, while two more are looming, at Yandina and possibly at Tulagi.
