A SPOKESMAN from the Office of the Chinese Embassy in Honiara has responded to official remarks by Japan and US officials in a question-and-answer format.
Q: Japanese and US senior officials visited Solomon Islands this week. The two delegations raised their concerns with the government of Solomon Islands on the China-SoIomon Islands Security Agreement. What is your comment?
A: The security cooperation agreement between China and Solomon Islands was signed on the basis of equality, respect and friendly consultation. The agreement supports the efforts of Solomon Islands to diversify its international security cooperation after decades of violence, and to realise lasting peace and stability for SI people.
“The security cooperation between China and SI is open, transparent and inclusive. It complements other bilateral and multilateral security mechanisms of Solomon Islands, and serves the common interests of SI, China and the Pacific Island region as a whole.
“On the security issue, instead of pointing fingers at sovereign cooperation between other countries, Japan should refrain from discharging Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean before reaching consensus with neighboring countries, the Pacific island countries and other stakeholders. The US should respect the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, and stop using AUKUS to introduce nuclear risks and arms race into the Pacific region.
‘The Pacific Island region should be a stage for international cooperation, not an arena for geopolitical agenda. It is hoped that relevant countries could contribute to peace, stability and sustainable development of the Pacific Island countries, not the other way around.”
