Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said on July 1 that he wants to establish a permanent security arrangement with Beijing to deal with “internal threats.”
The prime minister made the comments after a five-month training arrangement wrapped up between the China Police Liaison Team, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, and the Correctional Services of Solomon Islands.
Speaking at a training demonstration, Sogavare said he looks forward to identifying gaps that were supposedly exploited by protestors in November 2021.
Sogavare said he hopes the Police Force and Correctional Services can achieve the “capability” to deal with “internal threats.”
“Let me repeat it that as a sovereign country we cannot continue to depend on other countries to look after us,” he said. “We must have the capability to address our internal threats.
Beijing Tightens Grip on Solomons, Pacific
Sogavare’s comments will be of concern to democratic leaders who have recently pressed the prime minister on a security deal with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).The agreement would allow Chinese police, weapons, and even naval ships to be stationed in the region. From a wider perspective, Beijing has developed similarly tight relations—without military assistance—with 10 other Pacific nations.
The current police training came about after Australian and New Zealand security personnel were dispatched to the Solomon Islands to maintain peace after riots broke out over dissatisfaction with Sogavare. Weeks later, Beijing announced that it would send its own police force to help train the Solomon Islands’ security forces to better deal with protests.
South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal has previously said that the unpopular prime minister is attempting to solidify his rule before the next federal election.
Chinese expatriate Shawn Lin has said that Beijing uses its police force in line with its Belt and Road Initiative to spread its influence abroad.