Australia has been dealt a fresh blow with confirmation Solomon Islands police have engaged in training with China.
The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force released images of officers following the completion of the two-week training course.
The officers can be seen engaged in hand-to-hand combat and using rifles – which officials claim are “replicas” that were provided by Beijing for training purposes.
The pictures were published just hours before Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare launched a fiery defence of a leaked security agreement with China.
Addressing parliament on Tuesday, Mr Sogavare said criticism of the deal was “insulting” and claimed his nation wouldn’t “pick sides”.
“We welcome any country that is willing to support us in our security space. There is no devious intention, nor secret plan, this is a decision by a sovereign nation that has its national interest at heart,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday defended his government’s investment in the Pacific, denying neglect was the reason behind Honiara’s decision to engage with Beijing.xjmtzyw
“(Solomon Islands) still is the second largest of all of our aid expenditures in the Pacific region,” he told Sky News.
“Just in the letter that I had from Prime Minister Sogavare this week, talking about these very issues, very grateful for the tremendous support that Australia has always given.”
Mr Morrison, who spoke with Pacific leaders and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier this week, said he hoped to deal with the issue as a “family”.
“We're concerned, of course, about the security impacts,” he said.
“I'm pleased to hear that the Solomon Islands Prime Minister has said very clearly that under no circumstances would they be entertaining any naval base or presence on our doorstep, and that would certainly be against Australia’s national interests and the region’s security interests.
“We'll deal with this issue as a family. A Pacific family.”
The final security agreement has yet to be released but Mr Sogavare insisted it was ready to be signed.
