See also article by Prof. Richard Herr at the end of this article.
The controversial new security deal between the Solomon Islands and China has become a prism through which all
other components of Pacific geopolitics, indeed the geopolitics of the greater Indo-Pacific, will now be refracted.
A draft of the deal, leaked on social media on March 24, set off an immediate firestorm. A chorus of pleas came from domestic and international quarters alike, requesting the Solomon Islands’ government, headed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, step back from the deal. Instead, Sogavare fiercely rejected all criticism and expressions of “grave concerns” and on March 31, China and the Solomon Islands began formalizing the agreement. Now Sogavare’s troubled nation and the Indo-Pacific region must grapple with the extensive consequences of this game-changing development.
other components of Pacific geopolitics, indeed the geopolitics of the greater Indo-Pacific, will now be refracted.
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| Dr Patricia O'Brien |
