Quad Members’ Security Cooperation with Pacific Island Countries in the Context of Signing a Security Agreement between China and Solomon Islands in 2022

The signing of the security agreement between the Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China has raised concerns among some countries in the Indo-Pacific region, including Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, which form the Quad group. This article aims to examine the reaction of the format countries to the Honiara-Beijing agreement. The paper contains an analysis of the reasons for the rapprochement between the Solomon Islands and China, presents the reasons for the expansion of the PRC in the security dimension to the Pacific Island countries, and examines the Quad’s reaction to Beijing’s actions in the region.

Сотрудничество в сфере безопасности стран-членов «Квада» с островными государствами Тихого океана в контексте подписания секретного соглашения о безопасности между Китаем и Соломоновыми Островами в 2022 году

Подписание соглашения о безопасности между Соломоновыми Островами и Китайской Народной Республикой вызвало обеспокоенность у некоторых стран Индо-Тихоокеанского региона, включая Австралию, Индию, Японию и США, которые образуют группу Quad. Целью данной статьи является изучение реакции стран формата на соглашение Хониара-Пекин. В этом тексте содержится анализ причин сближения Соломоновых Островов и Китая, излагаются причины расширения КНР в измерении безопасности на островные страны Тихого океана, а также рассматривается реакция Quad на действия Пекина в регионе.

REFERENCES:

• 2016 Defence White Paper, https://www.defence.gov.au/about/strategic-planning/defence-white-paper.
• Aqorau T., Solomon Islands’ Foreign Policy Dilemma and the Switch from Taiwan to China, [in:] The China Alternative. Changing Regional Order in the Pacific Islands, eds. G. Smith, T. Wesley-Smith, Canberra 2021, pp. 319–348.
• Arco Escriche I., China in the South Pacific: geopolitical competition and local agency, https://www.cidob.org/en/publication/china-south-pacific-geopolitical-competition-and-local-agency.
• Badrul Beena M., The Doklam Stalemate, “World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues” 2019, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 60–69.
• Balakrishnan B., Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation moves ahead, https://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/ForumforIndiaPacificIslandsCooperationmovesahead_bbalakrishnan_250815.
• Bracken P., How New Technologies Are Shaping China’s Military Strategy, [in:] China’s Grand Strategy. A Roadmap to Global Power?, ed. D.B.H. Denoon, New York 2021, pp. 17–41.
• Bush announces tsunami aid coalition, https://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/12/29/bush.quake.
• China, Solomon Islands establish diplomatic ties, https://english.www.gov.cn/statecouncil/wangyi/201909/21/content_WS5d8612d0c6d0bcf8c4c13cc4.html.
• Connolly P., China’s Police Security in the Pacific Islands, https://www.nbr.org/publication/chinas-police-security-in-the-pacific-islands.
• Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), https://greenfdc.org/countries-of-thebelt-and-road-initiative-bri.
• DeLisle J., Goldstein A., China’s Economic Reform and Opening at Forty. Past Accomplishments and Emerging Challenges, [in:] To Get Rich Is Glorious: Challenges Facing China’s Economic Reform and Opening at Forty, eds. DeLise, A. Goldstein, Washington 2019, pp. 1–26.
• Ellsmoor J., Pacific Island Leaders Gather in Tuvalu Amid Australian Climate Controversy, https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/08/13/pacific-islandleaders-gather-in-tuvalu-amid-australian-climate-controversy.
• Exercise Malabar deepens regional military cooperation, https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/releases/2023-08-23/exercise-malabar-deepens-regionalmilitary-cooperation.
• Filtton D., Who really killed the Quad 1.0?, https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/who-really-killed-quad-10.
• Herscovitch B., China’s Efforts to Isolate and Intimidate Taiwan Are Pushing U.S. Allies Closer, https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2022/07/05/chinas-efforts-to-isolate-andintimidate-taiwan-are-pushing-u-s-allies-closer.
• Hill B., Dozens of Chinese fraud suspects deported from Fiji arrive handcuffed, in hoods, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-08/chinese-suspects-deportedfrom-fiji-arrive-hooded-and-handcuffed/8786080.
• Hirano K., FOCUS: Japan begins Pacific cybersecurity push to counter China threat, https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/03/8acd11bbe552-focus-japanbegins-pacific-cybersecurity-push-to-counter-china-threat.html.
• Horton C., In Blow to Taiwan, Solomon Islands Is Said to Switch Relations to China, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/world/asia/solomon-islands-taiwanchina.html.
• Japan-Australia-India-U.S. Ministerial, https://www.mofa.go.jp/fp/nsp/page3e_001112.html.
• Johnson B., Why Chinese policing in Pacific Island countries is a problem, https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/why-chinese-policing-in-pacific-island-countriesis-a-problem.
• Joint Readout of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York, https://www.state.gov/joint-readout-of-the-quad-foreign-ministers-meeting-in-new-york.
• Joint Statement from Quad Leaders, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/24/joint-statement-from-quad-leaders.
• Joint Statement from the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tokyo, https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-from-the-quad-foreign-ministers-meeting-in-tokyo.
• Joint Statement: Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, New Delhi, https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/joint-statement-quadforeign-ministers-meeting-new-delhi.
• Kelly S., The China-Solomon Islands Security Agreement: Clear and Present Danger, [in:] Chains, eds. Javin, E. Sunkyung Klein, A. Luman Ren, Canberra 2023.
• Le Tru H., Quad 2.0: New perspectives for the revived concept. Views from The Strategist, “Australian Strategic Policy Institute” 2019, No. 134, pp. 1–28.
• Members and Prospective Members of the Bank, https://www.aiib.org/en/about-aiib/governance/members-of-bank/index.html.
• O’Gorman D., Step-up with China in the Pacific on climate change and development aid, https://disruptiveasia.asiasociety.org/step-up-with-china-in-the-pacific-onclimate-change-and-development-aid.
• Our Projects, https://www.aiib.org/en/projects/list/year/All/member/Fiji/sector/All/financing_type/All/status/All.
• Parlevliet A., Support Threefold: Taiwan’s Pacific Island Allies, https://www.csis.org/blogs/new-perspectives-asia/support-threefold-taiwans-pacific-island-allies.
• Piekos W., In the Pacific Islands, US delay is an invitation for China to step in, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/in-the-pacific-islands-us-delayis-an-invitation-for-china-to-step-in.
• Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1926193.
• Quad Joint Leaders’ Statement, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/24/quad-joint-leaders-statement.
• Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/20/quad-leaders-joint-statement.
• Quad Leaders’ Joint Statement: “The Spirit of the Quad”, https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/33620/Quad+Leaders+Joint+Statement+The+Spirit+of+the+Quad.
• Ratner E., Course Correction. How to Stop China’s Maritime Advance, “Foreign Affairs” 2017, Vol. 96, No. 4, pp. 64–72.
• Rawat, M., Quad 2.0 Is Off to a Good Start – It Must Keep Going, https://thediplomat.com/2020/11/quad-2-0-is-off-to-a-good-start-it-must-keep-going.
• Rutkowski T., Climate Transition as a Fuse for Competition for Deposits from the Seabed and the Unexplored Consequences of Extracting Critical Raw Materials, [in:] 21st Century as the Pacific Century. Culture and Security of Oceania States in Great Power Competition, ed. Siekiera, Warsaw 2023, pp. 71–82.
• Saint-Mézard I., India’s Development Strategy with the Pacific Island Countries. Killing two (or more) birds with one stone, “Institut français des relations internationals” 2023, pp. 1–5.
• Smith S.N., Community of common destiny: China’s “news assertiveness” and the changing Asian order, “International Journal” 2018, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 449–463.
• Solomon Islands breaks ties with Taiwan after Chinese ‘dollar diplomacy’, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-16/solomon-islands-cuts-taiwan-ties-after-chinadollar-diplomacy/11510898.
• Solomon Islands-China Security Cooperation Signed, https://solomons.gov.sb/solomon-islands-china-security-cooperation-signed.
• Srinivasan C., China signs pact with Solomon Islands. What does it mean? Is India affected?, https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/china-solomon-islandspact-china-signs-security-pact-with-solomon-islands-101650366652398.html.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Adrianne Watson on U.S. Consultations with Australia, Japan, and New Zealand in Honolulu, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/19/statement-by-nsc-spokesperson-adrienne-watson-on-u-s-consultations-with-australia-japan-and-newzealand-in-honolulu.
• Statement on Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/23/statement-onindo-pacific-economic-framework-for-prosperity.
• The Pacific Islands matter for America matters for the Pacific Islands, https://asiamattersforamerica.org/uploads/publications/2022-Pacific-Islands-Matter-forAmerica.pdf.
• The Second Japan-Australia-India-U.S. Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, https://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/press6e_000244.html.
• The United States *One China Policy* is NOT the Same as the PRC *One China Principle*, https://www.us-taiwan.org/resources/faq-the-united-states-one-chinapolicy-is-not-the-same-as-the-prc-one-china-principle.
• US Set to Open Embassies in Cook Islands and Niue as Biden Hosts Pacific Leaders Summit, https://www.voanews.com/a/us-set-to-open-embassies-in-cook-islands-and-niue-as-biden-hosts-pacific-leaders-summit/7281714.html.
• Wallis J., Powles A., Smooth sailing? How Australia, New Zealand and the United States partner in-and with-the Pacific islands, “Australian Strategic Policy Institute” 2023, pp. 5–7.
• Why the Pacific Island Countries are important to Japan? – Relations between Japan and the Pacific Island Countries, and Japan’s cooperation, https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/spf/palm2003/relation.html.
• Wyeth G., The Long Arm of Chinese Law Reaches Vanuatu, Again, https://thediplomat.com/2019/07/the-long-arm-of-chinese-law-reaches-vanuatu-again.
• Zhang D., Pacific climate change fight is a test for both U.S. and China, https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Pacific-climate-change-fight-is-a-test-for-both-U.S.-andChina.
• Zoe Liu Z., What the China-Solomon Islands Pact Means for the U.S. and South Pacific, https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/china-solomon-islands-security-pact-us-southpacific.