The Alliance in Action in the Solomon Islands
Australian and American Efforts to Build on Shared History
*PDF of the full report below ⬇️*
Introduction
Over the past few years, the Pacific Islands region has attracted a surge of diplomatic and media attention because China holds high ambitions to expand its diplomatic and economic clout within this critically important region. This can be attributed to a confluence of factors, which is why the United States and its allies are closely observing the brazen nature of Chinese influence in Oceania, particularly in the Solomon Islands, a small island country located in the subregion of Melanesia.
But in March 2022, Australian and American officials were caught off guard when a draft of a framework agreement between the Solomon Islands (hereafter referred to as the Solomons) and China was shared online just about a month before the two countries brokered a bilateral security cooperation agreement.[i] At first glance, Canberra and Washington were blindsided by this development because the pact reinforced serious concerns that China is creating a pathway by which it can anchor a permanent military presence in a Pacific Island country that is not geographically too far away from Australia.[ii]
Given this diplomatic setback, there is an impression that present-day American and Australian engagement with the Solomons is primarily shaped by considerations revolving around China. The proliferation of these assessments is entirely plausible and valid, but there is also more than meets the eye. Last November, I had the rare opportunity to visit Honiara, the capital of the Solomons. Honiara sits on the island of Guadalcanal, which is ripe with history because it is where the United States and its allies won a decisive naval battle during World War II against formidable Japanese forces.[iii]
While in Guadalcanal, I was constantly reminded of the outsized role the island played to alter the course of the war for the United States and its allies in the Pacific theater because the remnants of the war linger on to this day. More to the point, Australia and the United States have a storied history with the Solomons, and it unquestionably precedes Honiara’s recent inclination towards partnering with China across many fronts.
In this context, this commentary sheds light on a few lines of effort that Australia and the United States are undertaking to elevate the Solomons’ nation-building endeavors - namely on defense and infrastructural initiatives. It starts by providing an overview of how the Solomons figure into an increasingly contested security environment over the past few years. The next two sections explore Australia and the United States’ engagement with the Pacific; both countries’ respective bilateral relations with the Solomons; and how they are partnering with the island nation to enhance its capacity-building mechanisms. Finally, this piece concludes by circling back to my personal observations from my trip to Honiara, and why the foreign policy narrative regarding the Solomons should reflect a deeper understanding and appreciation of other factors at play that are not solely centered around curbing Chinese influence.
Footnotes
[i] Patricia O’Brien, “The ‘Framework Agreement’ with China Transforms the Solomon Islands into a Pacific Flashpoint,” Center for Strategic and International Studies, March 31, 2022, available at: https://www.csis.org/analysis/framework-agreement-china-transforms-solomon-islands-pacific-flashpoint; Government Communications Unit, “Solomon Islands - China Security Cooperation Signed,” Solomon Islands Government, April 20, 2022, available at: https://solomons.gov.sb/solomon-islands-china-security-cooperation-signed/.
[ii] Kirsty Needham and Martin Quin Pollard, “U.S. concerned after China says it signs security pact with Solomon Islands,” Reuters, April 19, 2022, available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-officials-travel-solomon-islands-sign-agreements-parliament-told-2022-04-19/.
[iii] Naval History and Heritage Command, “Naval Battle of Guadalcanal,” National Museum of the U.S. Navy, available at: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/wwii/wwii-pacific/wwii-pacific-guadalancanal/naval-battles/naval-battle-guadalcanal.html.