What Pacific accords is China pursuing, and why is everyone concerned?
When word of a draught security pact granting Chinese military and police substantial access to the Solomon Islands surfaced in March, it reignited interest in China 's Pacific ambitions. Australia and NewZealand , the Solomon Islands' traditional security partners, as well as other Pacific states and the United States, were taken aback by the news. This week, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was on a 10-day trip to the Pacific, word leaked that Beijing was attempting to secure a broad economic security agreement with ten countries, which would result in a substantial extension of its regional dominance. What concerns Australia, New Zealand, and the United States? All three countries have expressed fears that a stronger Chinese security presence in the Pacific might destabilise the region, with the Solomons pact posing the greatest risk of China establishing a military facility on the islands, which are only 2,000 kilometres from Australia's east coast. Beijing ...