The Solomon Islands' prime minister said on Tuesday that a contentious security agreement with Beijing was "ready for signing", denying reports that his country had been pressured to allow a Chinese naval base to be built in the Pacific island nation.
In an impassioned speech to parliament, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare offered little detail on the shape of the final deal beyond saying that there was "no intention whatsoever... to ask China to build a military base in the Solomon Islands".
He dismissed reports in the Australian media that his country was being "pressured by the People's Republic of China to build a military base in Solomon Islands".
"Where does that nonsense come from? The security treaty... is pursued at the request of the Solomon Islands' government," he said.
"We are not pressured. We are not pressured in any way by our new friends."
Asked in parliament about the status of the deal, Mr Sogavare said: "We will finalise and finish now. The document is ready for signing."
A file photo of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Source: AAP
It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke with his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern about the proposed security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China.
A leaked draft security deal between the Solomon Islands and China showed Chinese ships would be based in the Pacific with a navy base less than 2,000 kilometres off Australia's coast.
The proposed deal has triggered concerns about the potential militarisation of the Pacific.
Mr Morrison and Ms Ardern on Tuesday discussed the deal and the actions they believe could undermine the security and stability of the Pacific region.
Mr Morrison said this week reports of the deal were, "A reminder of the constant pressure and threats that present in our region to our own national security."
Ms Ardern has expressed concerns, telling NZ radio she did not see a need for China to have a security presence in the Solomon Islands.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has travelled to Fiji to discuss the issue with Pacific leaders.
'Very insulting'
In his speech on Tuesday, Mr Sogavare confirmed that existing security arrangements with Australia would "remain intact" under the new pact with China, but added that "to achieve our security needs, it is clear that we need to diversify the country's relationship with other countries — and what is wrong with that?"
Mr Sogavare labelled concern from "many leaders" about China's presence threatening regional security in the Pacific as "unfortunate perceptions".
He said that it was "very insulting... to be branded as unfit to manage our sovereign affairs" by other nations and condemned those who had leaked the draft pact with China as "lunatics and agents of foreign regimes".
"We are not pressured in any way by our new friends and there is no intention whatsoever to ask China to build a military base in the Solomon Islands," he said.
Mr Sogavare said he had exchanged text messages with Mr Morrison on the matter and also had written him a letter on Tuesday morning.
China's growing influence in the Pacific in recent years has fed into a tense relationship with Australia, as has Canberra's strengthened military ties with the United States and other allies.
The prospect of a Chinese naval base in the South Pacific has long been a concern for Australia and the United States because it would allow Beijing to project its power deeper into the region.
Both Australia and New Zealand have confirmed their ongoing commitment to the Solomon Islands Assistance Force.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says Australia must engage more with Pacific island leaders.
"We need to be in a position whereby Australia is playing a leading role along with our allies in the Pacific because I'm very concerned about this announcement that appears to have been made in the Solomons," he told ABC radio on Monday.
"The Pacific step-up needs to be more than a slogan. It needs to be backed up by action and respect for what our Pacific island neighbours are saying, for example, about climate change.
- with AFP
