Australia has secured one of its biggest diplomatic victories in the Pacific in years, as the Solomon Islands commits to a new comprehensive treaty to elevate bilateral relations, following a secretive security deal with China.
New Treaty Announced
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale arrived in Australia on Tuesday, less than a month after taking office. His visit marks a turning point in the often fraught relationship between the two nations, which was strained by the Solomon Islands' 2022 security pact with China.
Following talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the two leaders agreed to elevate their relationship through a comprehensive treaty and enhance police cooperation. Australia will provide $35 million to help the Solomon Islands recover from Cyclone Maila and cope with global energy price shocks.
Security Cooperation
China had deployed police to train local officers after civil unrest in 2022, while Australia also maintains an Australian Federal Police presence. Australia remains the Solomon Islands' largest aid donor.
Mr. Albanese stated that the two leaders had committed to elevate the bilateral relationship at the request of the Solomon Islands. “This will be agreed in a new comprehensive treaty underpinned by mutual trust, respect and open dialogue,” he said. “This treaty will allow Australia and the Solomon Islands to confront global and regional challenges as partners.”
He added that they had agreed to move to the next phase of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force-Australian Federal Police Partnership Program, building capability and strengthening policing cooperation. “This builds on the Pacific policing initiative that we launched at the Pacific Island Forum just a couple of years ago,” Mr. Albanese said.
Mr. Albanese expressed his desire for Australia to be the “security partner of choice” for the Solomon Islands. Australia has also doubled the number of training and vocational scholarships to 1,500 by 2027.
Reset in Relationship
Mr. Wale struck a warm tone, describing the Solomon Islands as “Australia's friend. Has always been and always will be.” He said he had sought a “reset” in the relationship, acknowledging past issues but emphasizing the resilience of the ties. “I'm sure you'll be popping questions about the last few years, and we have had some issues and all relationships go through issues, bumps here and there,” he said. “But the resilience of our relationship, I think, is self-evident. It lies in our people-to-people contacts and, of course, in our institutional relations over so many years, perhaps even more than a century. It is not easy to break that kind of depth and strength of such a relationship.”
Mr. Wale, a long-time opposition leader, was elected prime minister last month after pro-China Jeremiah Manelee was ousted in a vote of no-confidence. He has previously criticized the Solomon Islands' deal with China and called for it to be made public, but has recently softened his stance.
When asked about the China deal, Mr. Wale said he had not yet seen a copy until a day before his visit. “I haven't been afforded a copy even of that agreement until a day before I left, so I haven't had a good look at it,” he said. “I have been praying and fasting about it, but of course, cabinet will need to have a look at these things. There is a non-disclosure clause in it, so I couldn't show it to you right away, but we are going to be reviewing, as we are reviewing other security agreements that we have with many other countries.”
Regarding Chinese investment, Mr. Wale said the Solomon Islands would look to Australia and others “so we can build critical infrastructure and have sovereign control over them.” He noted that the nation had recently signed an agreement with the US and would also seek US financing for critical infrastructure.
Mr. Wale's visit, his first overseas trip, comes as he remains on a knife edge with only 26 parliamentarians voting for him in the 50-seat assembly.
Australia has faced an increasingly hawkish China in the Pacific. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong previously admitted to a “permanent contest” in the region between the two powers as the United States' traditional aid influence wanes. Late last year, the $500 million Nakamal Agreement with Vanuatu was put on ice amid pushback from Beijing. A revised agreement, likely including security, climate, and economic arrangements, is in the works, though Port Vila is also seeking a parallel deal with China. In May, Senator Wong said the Vuvale Union with Fiji was in its final stretch. Australia also signed a wide-reaching security pact with Papua New Guinea last year.
