The newly-signed China-Solomon Islands security agreement seeks to isolate the United States and its allies in the region, according to the former head of intelligence for the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The contentious pact, signed last week, would allow the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—with the consent of the Solomon Islands—to dispatch police, troops, weapons, and even naval ships to “protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands,” based on leaked pages from the document.
If implemented to its full extent, the framework agreement will give China the ability to extend its reach beyond the South China Sea and into the South Pacific region, and sever shipping lanes and air links connecting the United States with allies Australia and New Zealand, according to James Fannell, a former director of intelligence and information operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
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