The Solomon Islands has come under enormous pressure from the US and Australia for signing a security pact with China that will allow Beijing to send police and other security forces to the islands. The Pacific island nation’s prime minister said Wednesday that the pressure amounts to the threat of “invasion.”
“We deplore the continual demonstration of lack of trust by the concerned parties, and tacit warning of military intervention in Solomon Islands if their national interest is undermined in Solomon Islands,” Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told parliament. “In other words, we are threatened with invasion.”
Last month, a US State Department official wouldn’t rule out military action as a response if the security pact results in China building a military base in the Solomons.
Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said if China established a base in the Solomons, the US would have “concerns” and would “very naturally respond to those concerns.” Sogavare has repeatedly said that the agreement won’t lead to the establishment of a Chinese military facility.
Sogavare’s comments on Wednesday prompted Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to defend his approach to the issue. “Of course, none of that’s true,” Morrison said of Sogavare’s invasion warning. The Australian leader rejected advice from the opposition Left Party to call Sogavare over his comments.
“I can tell you very clearly that I am following very carefully the advice that I get from our security intelligence agencies in how we are responsibly managing the issues in relation to this matter,” Morrison said.
I kind of looks like we are threatening and p*ssing everyone off. What the h*ll is Biden putting in his tea, some of Hunter’s stash??
The same thing as his long line of predecessors.
A nation state has the right to choose it’s security partners🤣🤣🤣🤣. Seriously the hypocrisy of this is kinda frightening. They r saying totally contradictory things at the same time as if we r all idiots.
Its surprising our media have picked up in this..nah ..its not really…We all know that brown skinned Islanders who dont look like us cant make soverejgn decision on their own security…just people like us white blonde blue eyed..like Ukrainians.
A great illustration of the (lack of) principles of the “rules-based order” (= we make the rules, you take the orders).
Most Americans wouldn’t recognize the hypocrisy anyway because “USA. USA, we’re #1”. #1 world bully that is.
And yes, they think (correctly) that most of us are idiots who can’t remember anything from one day to the next except whether we’re on Team Red or Team Blue.
You might remember this one too:
EU ministers: Notions of ‘spheres of influence’ have no place in 21st century
I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for them to condemn Australia (1200 miles) and US (6000 miles) “spheres of influence).
Just off hand, I don’t think that now would be a good time for the U.S. or Australia to invade the Sollimons. I think that never would be the best time to act. China’s vast nearby naval assets and vastly superior numbers would turn the invasion into an embarrassingly desperate route. Even such threats or innuendo seem delusional. Grin and bear it is the best course of non-action required.
Surely after recent events, its never good to invade to stop people making their sovereign security decisions…just sayin…
The NERVE of those people, making a decision that will best benefit their nation!
Don’t they realize that they need Uncle Sam’s permission to so much as breathe FIRST?
Yes! Yes! We need to nuke them, or something.
“Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs”
Seriously, there is such a thing? Is that ASS for short?
solomon islands what after all these decades doesn’t already have uncle sam mitts all over it?
maybe nobody noticed them over there until now that it is too late.
“hey what’s that over there?” “i don’t know but i swear i saw me some china boys nosing around.”
Suppose China were to sign a security agreement with Germany.
right then – we would see some china boys nosing around there, right?
it ultimately will all boil down to some china boys nosing around.
I don’t see Asians staying on the US bandwagon. China is huge, close, productive, and reliable. I also don’t see the US noticing this.
China / Russia should begin pouring arms into the Solomon Islands to counter any threats from the US .
The security pact is none of US or Australia business..!. Chinese navy will soon be there…!
Now US vehemently has been pushing back any idea that it has sought regime change in Pakistan . Dirty Pakistani establsihment including the military and the judiciary as American thralls agree with US ‘s rebuttal.
But here openly US is thinking of invading a country to stop it from exercisng what is Solomon’s rights . Regime change is small pocket change compared to an invasion. Sounds like Kuwait and Ukrinae and Pakistan combined into one. But at least Solomon has more guts than those Pakistani rascals will ever marshall .
Funny. The US, NATO and Australia all pontificate that a sovereign country like Ukraine has the inalienable right to have security arrangements, join alliances and such. But when the a country like the Solomon Islands does just that? Verboten. Pressure and threats result.
Message received. A Sovereign country has this inalienable right as long as it is approved by the Western clique.
Does anyone remember WWII.? Does anyone remember the Japanese attempting to set up an air base on Guadalcanal? Does anybody remember the reason why they were doing that? Does anyone care that a Chi-com military base in that area could cut off trade relations between United States and Australia? and don’t say they won’t do it. That is their plan. Look at Chi-com’s in Africa since the 80s. Think people! remember your history! this isn’t that long ago.
Yes we know the world is pushing for the third war. Seems inevitable at this point. I guess population is too high and Covid didn’t kill nearly enough people. Not like they can convincingly deploy another virus without people catching on.