Solomon Islands backs policing pact with China amid concerns

Solomon Islands has said that its policing pact with China posed no "threat" to the Pacific, rebuking Western powers who raised fears the deal could inflame regional tensions.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said Friday the pact would plug security gaps exposed by violent anti-government riots in November 2021, which destroyed large sections of the Chinatown district in the capital Honiara.

It would cover areas such as drone training, cybersecurity and the provision of vehicles and equipment, the spokesman added, saying the government failed to see how this was a "threat to the Pacific region".

"We have suffered enough because of these security gaps," the spokesman said in a statement.

Manasseh Sogavare inked a raft of deals during a trip to China this week, including an agreement allowing Beijing to extend its police presence in the developing Pacific nation until 2025.

The United States, Australia and New Zealand have expressed unease about the policing "implementation plan", urging Beijing to soothe concerns by releasing more details.

In response, the Solomon Islands government declared that critics should "respect our sovereignty and right to make our own decisions".

Solomon Islands, one of the poorest countries in the Pacific, sits at the centre of an escalating tug-of-war as China vies for regional influence with Australia and the United States.