The Australian Prime Minister has hinted that neighboring Papua New Guinea is facing similar “pressure” from Beijing to agree on a security agreement like the Solomon Islands.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is a weapon of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stationed forces and Solomon Islands.
Defense experts have warned that the move could lead to a gradual militarization of areas similar to the South China Sea, expanding PLA reach within 1,700 kilometers from the northern Australian city of Cairns.
Morrison, who has been on the path of the campaign, defends the government’s approach in dealing with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavale, a delicate boundary between respecting national sovereignty and discouraging its involvement with Beijing. I drew a line.
“Australia has made it clear that we are aiming to be constructive and address each other,” he told reporters on April 20. Your interests and what we believe will ultimately win. “
“Do you think Papua New Guinea is under the same pressure as the Solomon Islands? Of course there is,” he added. “It’s happening in all those countries.”
Beijing was reportedly interested in the Bougainville Autonomous Region of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Offer US $ 1 billion With infrastructure investment under the Belt and Road Initiative. Bougainville is also on the road to achieving independence from PNG by 2027.
The Morrison administration has been criticized by Labor opposition for dropping the ball in an engagement in the South Pacific.
Labor Party diplomatic spokesman Penny Wong called it “the worst foreign policy failure.”
“The government should have acted faster. We live in a world where the strategic situation we face is more dangerous and uncertain than at any time after World War II.” She told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on April 20th.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Anthony Albanese promised to visit Solomon if he defeated the government.
“I’m involved with Solomon’s leader, and I would have done it for a period of time,” Albanese told reporters in Queensland. “The problem is that these relationships are not feasible in the event of a crisis.
Meanwhile, US Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell will touch down in the Solomon Islands in the coming days to talk to Prime Minister Sogavale. It was after Australian foreign officials, Pacific Minister Zed Seselja, and two intelligence directors all met with the Prime Minister and urged him to stop trading.
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Daniel Y. Teng is based in Sydney. He focuses on national politics, including federal politics, COVID-19 response, and relations between Australia and China. Do you have a hint? Contact him at [email protected]