If a Chinese naval base is built on the Solomon Islands it will end Australian sovereignty. Any time we have a China debate, Beijing will rattle its South Pacific saber and the cowards of Canberra will buckle. This is gunboat diplomacy 101.
So, what is the Morrison Government doing about it? Lying, as usual, from Peter Hartcher:
…on Sunday, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne, seemed to suggest that the problem had been solved. The ABC’s David Speers asked her: “Prime Minister Sogavare says he is still planning to go ahead with it, he says it won’t involve a military base. Do you believe him?”
Payne answered: “I think they are very important assurances, David, and certainly assurances that we have sought.” She added: “Overwhelmingly, we believe that the Pacific family is best placed as responders to security issues in the Pacific region.”
She did express one reservation – “a lack of transparency” which “should be discussed in a broader Pacific Island Forum context”. Australia, which is a member of the forum, would support such a discussion, she said.
Phew. So, there’s nothing to worry about. Strange, then, that the senior US official from Joe Biden’s White House is still planning the long trip to Honiara this week. Kurt Campbell, the US National Security Council’s Indo-Pacific Coordinator, doesn’t seem to agree that there’s nothing to worry about.
Which one is right? In fact, Payne is guilty of gilding the lily quite irresponsibly. With an election campaign under way, which minister in the Morrison government would want to admit to a strategic crisis in Australia’s maritime approaches? Not Pollyanna Payne. There are two reasons that this is a clear and present danger to Australian, NZ and regional security.
…Australia cannot trust Sogavare’s assurances. We only know about the proposed deal with Beijing because of a leak. It also turns out that Sogavare is in talks with Beijing to allow China secretly to bring dozens of weapons – pistols, rifles and machine guns – into Honiara. Again, we only know about this because of a leaked draft. How many other arrangements is Sogavare discussing with Beijing in secret?
…Payne said the Pacific Islands Forum could discuss the secrecy question. This is misleading. The forum split a year ago and has been unable to meet. It’s not functional.
Australia has options, two in particular. The Fiji-based Pacific Islands Forum could indeed be a useful mechanism for managing regional stability. Australia and NZ are members; China is not. But first it needs to be repaired. Reuniting the forum should be a primary priority for Australia and NZ.
Second is the proposal by a bipartisan Australian parliamentary inquiry last month for Canberra to consider forming Compacts of Free Association with some of the regional nations. These are agreements for deeper integration. Some exist already in the Pacific.
…But that will take action and energy, not Pollyanna Payne complacency in the face of crisis.
While Marise Payne was lying on the ABC, our “strong on China” leader was literally handing out lollies to children with renowned CCP stooge, Gladys Liu, whom Morrison has been directly warned about by ASIO:
That kid needs immediate fumigation.
