Behind the Deal: China’s Growing Influence in the Pacific

In late March of 2022, a leaked document showing an unsigned security agreement between The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Solomon Islands began circulating on social media platform Twitter (now X). The draft was shared by opponents of the deal in the Solomon Islands and was later authenticated by the Australian government, becoming the PRC’s first known security agreement in the region.

The leaked excerpts appeared to be a part of a bilateral agreement which, if signed, granted former Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, a framework to call upon the Chinese military for protection. This deal subsequently would provide China the ability to move troops into the Pacific, allowed for naval refueling a mere 1,200 nautical miles from Australian shores, and gave China access to vital shipping lanes.

This relationship raised concerns for the Western world, specifically for countries such as the United States and within Europe that have historically worried about China’s rise of power, given that the South-Pacific has become the center of major strategic geopolitical fights between the West and China. However, this relationship did not simply arise without context, as the Chinese government has been increasing engagement within the area following Xi Jinping’s rise of power in 2013.

After accepting developmental aid from China, the Solomon Islands broke ties with Taiwan in September of 2019. But the relationship has faced pushback. In November 2021, five months before the security deal, riots broke out in Honiara's Chinatown over rumors of secret PRC influence in the government, leaving three people dead.

The leak of the 2022 bilateral security agreement, now formally known as the China–Solomon Islands Security Cooperation Agreement, came as a surprise, even for members of the Solomon Islands government. Sources claimed the deal was kept within a very small circle of negotiators and consequently, triggered  a flurry of public criticism and diplomatic efforts following the release. Immediate reactions from New Zealand, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Australia’s Minister of Defense drew comparisons between the threats of this situation and the period of the 1930s. The United States government released statements, criticizing the secrecy from Beijing concerning the deal; fears of a potential future Chinese military base was top of mind. Soon after, Australian officials traveled to Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands to attempt to halt the deal, followed by national security council coordinators from the United States.

 However, despite consistent effort from the West, the Solomon Islands and China signed the deal in April of 2022.

The Solomon Islands claimed the agreement was only for the protection of their internal government structure and that the deal would not pose a significant security threat for the region. However, this was criticized by parliamentary members, including Matthew Wale, former Leader of the Opposition, who called directly for the nation to release the full agreement. 

Recently, in May of 2026, Wale was sworn into office as the new Prime Minister. When asked about the deal, he stated that his administration will “be reviewing [the treaty], as we are reviewing other security agreements that we have with many other countries.” While many Western countries remain skeptical of the Solomon Islands proximity to China, Wale’s administration has strived to reestablish previous bilateral agreements and relationships with both the U.S. and Australia. Still, many questions remain surrounding the possibility of Chinese influence in the Pacific region.