Commentary China’s dream of becoming a naval power has been boosted by the “initialling” of a Beijing-Solomons security deal. Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative scheme has long been entangled with a parallel plan to create a Chinese blue-water navy capable of projecting its power across the globe. Although China’s navy is still not in the same league as America’s, it is no longer confined to merely protecting its coastal waters and does pose a serious challenge to Washington. Part of the planning around the blue water navy includes establishing Chinese naval bases around the globe. For example, this new security agreement with the Solomon Islands opens the door for a Chinese naval base in the South Pacific by granting Beijing the right to ship visits and logistical replenishment. Coupled with China’s construction of an airfield in the Pacific nation of Kiribati, it signals that Beijing has serious intentions to establish …