Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce has promised to open the door for new wharves, shipbuilding, fishing facilities, and clean energy development in the Solomon Islands, according to a recent leak, hinting at the possibility that a contentious security deal could open the door for the militarization of the region.
The latest revelations come after an earlier agreement emerged involving a Beijing state-owned aviation company inquiring with the leader of Isabel Province in the Pacific nation for locations to develop naval infrastructure for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army—Navy.
The newest document to be unearthed—this time by The Australian newspaper—is a draft Memorandum of Understanding on Deepening Blue Economy Cooperation (pdf) between Beijing and its Solomon Islands counterpart under China’s Maritime Silk Road project.
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