In News:

• China has announced the signing of a security pact with the Solomon Islands.
  
  

What’s in Today’s Article:

• Solomon Islands
  
  
• News Summary
  
  

In Focus: Solomon Islands

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• Solomon Islands is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
  
  
• Once a British protectorate, Solomon Islands achieved independence as a republic in 1978.
  
  
• Honiara, on the north coast of Guadalcanal Island, is Solomon Islands’ capital and largest city.
  
  
• There are six big islands - the largest is Guadalcanal.
  • The others are New Georgia, Santa Isabel, Choiseul, Malaita, and San Cristobal.
    
    
  
  
  
• Solomon Island in particular has significant reserves of timber and mineral resources, along with fisheries.
  
  
• These Pacific island states have disproportionately large maritime Exclusive Economic Zones when compared to their small sizes.
  
  

News Summary

• Chinese Foreign Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Solomon Islands signed an inter-governmental framework agreement on security cooperation.
  
  
• It is a first-of-its-kind arrangement that could pave the way for further Chinese security deals overseas.
  
  

Key highlights of the framework agreement

• Under the agreement, the two sides will conduct cooperation in various areas such as:
  
  
  
• These two countries will cooperate in an effort to help Solomon Islands strengthen capacity building in safeguarding its own security.
  
  
• The Solomon Islands explained that there was no agreement for a Chinese military base.
  
  

Concerns

• Concerns raised by western countries
  • Officials from the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand expressed concerns about the proposed security framework.
    
    
  • They fear that the agreement could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the country and hence pose serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
    
    
  • Experts believe that signing such an agreement could actually increase destabilisation within the Solomon Islands.
    
    
  • Also, it could set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region.
    
    
  
  
  
• Vagueness in the agreement
  • Much remains unclear about the new agreement, including how China plans to support the Solomon Islands in maintaining social order.
    
    
  • Security analysts feel that there has been a lack of transparency with which this agreement has been developed.
    
    
  
  
  
• Great geo-strategic significance
  • The Solomon Islands has great strategic significance as was evident during the World War II (WW II).
    • During the WW II, it served as a bulwark for Australia against the advancing Japanese.
      
      
    
    
    
  • The Solomon Islands also sits on critical shipping routes, meaning China could potentially control maritime traffic in and around the region.
    
    
  
  
  
• Role of Taiwan: Competition for diplomatic recognition
  • Any country which has to officially establish relations with China will have to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
    
    
  • The Solomon Islands was one among the six Pacific island states which had official bilateral relations with Taiwan.
    
    
  • However, in 2019, the Solomon Islands, along with Kiribati, switched allegiance to China. Now, only four regional countries backing Taiwan, mostly belonging to the Micronesian group of islands which are under the control of the US.
    
    
  
  
  

Impact on India

• The China-Solomon Islands pact does not directly affect India.
  
  
• The islands are at significant distance from mainland India and even the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  
  
• China's advances in the region, however, will be a cause for concern even in Delhi.