U.S. senators are warning that Beijing could become the “owner and minder” of the Solomon Islands if a controversial security pact is implemented.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee, is visiting Australia, along with five Republican senators and congressman, because it was the “epicentre of the global challenge” involving the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In an interview with Sky News Australia, Menendez, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said it was in the interest of the Solomon Islands, Australia, and the United States to “ensure there is not a Chinese base there.”
In late March, details of a secret agreement between the Solomon Islands and Beijing were leaked online and would allow the CCP to dispatch forces to “protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in the Solomon Islands.”
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