Pacific nations should pressure the Solomon Islands’ government to step away from an impending deal with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), warning it could result in the region’s militarisation and a ratcheting of tensions, according to a defence expert.
The deal, which surprised officials last week, was revealed after it began circulating online on March 24 and could open the door for Chinese security personnel, including police, soldiers, weaponry, and naval ships, to be stationed in the Pacific nation—based just 1,700 kilometres from the northern Australian city of Cairns.
