Published on: 20/04/2022 – 10:22Modified on: 20/04/2022 – 10:25 Manasseh Sogavare, the pro-Beijing Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, signed a security agreement with China on Wednesday. Worried about Beijing’s military ambitions in the Pacific, Australia and the United States take a dim view of this alliance. The rapprochement between the Solomon Islands and China has gone one step further. The Prime Minister of this Pacific nation, Manasseh Sogavare, indicated on Wednesday April 20 that his government had signed a security agreement with China in good conscience. This decision was strongly criticized by the allies of the archipelago, the United States and Australia. “Let me assure the people of the Solomon Islands that we have reached an agreement with China with open eyes, guided by our national interests,” Manasseh Sogavare told parliament on Wednesday, asking “neighbors, friends and partners of his nation to respect the sovereign interests of the Solomon Islands. a Chinese naval base Last month, a preliminary version of the agreement was leaked. The document had sent shockwaves through Australia as it included proposals allowing Chinese police and naval deployments in the archipelago. Canberra and Washington have long been concerned about the possibility of China building a naval base in the South Pacific , which would allow it to project its maritime power far beyond its borders. Manasseh Sogavare said the agreement with China “complements” the existing treaty between his country and Australia, saying that the status quo only allowed not cover the Pacific nation’s “critical security gaps”.Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Wednesday criticized the Solomon Islands for its “lack of transparency” and failure to consult with other nations in the Pacific over the deal. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would visit the Solomon Islands “at the earliest opportunity”. “We treat Pacific neighbors like brothers and sisters and we believe that you shouldn’t go and tell Pacific Island leaders what they should or shouldn’t do,” he said. U.S. Asia chief Kurt Campbell will arrive in the Solomon Islands later this week, accompanied by Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. . The United States has promised to reopen its embassy in the Solomon Islands, which has been closed since 1993. Recent riots with anti-Chinese overtones The Solomon Islands were rocked in late 2021 by deadly riots fueled by poverty, unemployment, as well as by the resentment of part of the population against the growing influence of China. Businesses owned by Chinese had been vandalized and set on fire in Honiara, the capital. Australia had been one of the actors in the region to deploy peacekeeping forces to the Solomon Islands, under a treaty of Bilateral security linking Australia and the Solomons. Beijing, which had sent police instructors and riot control equipment, has since sought to strengthen its protection system on the island. With AFP