The Solomon Islands has joined 13 other Pacific nations in signing a wide-reaching US-led partnership agreement, after early indications it would refuse.
The ten-point US-Pacific Partnership deal was announced by the White House on Thursday evening, following the first-ever meeting between a US president and the leaders of every major Pacific nation. It includes commitments for increased action on climate change, economic development and security cooperation.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden committed more than $810 million to a new Pacific initiative. “A great deal of the history of our world is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific over the coming years and decades, and the Pacific Islands are a critical voice in shaping that future,” Biden said.
The agreement is similar in tone and reach to a deal which the Chinese government attempted to strike with Pacific nations in May, which was ultimately rejected by regional leaders, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The head of the Pacific Islands Forum said in July Beijing hadn’t given leaders enough time to consult on the agreement.
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The Solomon Islands government had initially indicated to other Pacific nations that it would refuse to sign the US agreement, according to the ABC.
Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare stood at the left side of Biden during a group photograph after the summit.
In addition to establishing a Solomon Islands embassy, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Department will provide law enforcement training in the Pacific nation, according to a copy of the agreement released by the White House.
In the past year, the US and Australia have been increasingly concerned about growing Chinese government influence in the Pacific and have escalated diplomatic activity in the region. The unexpected announcement in April of a security agreement being struck between China and the Solomon Islands was a major diplomatic win for Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Friday at regular press briefing in Beijing that her country had an “open attitude” regarding cooperation between Pacific Island nations and the rest of the world.
“We hope the US will offer support for these countries’ development and revitalization, instead of using cooperation as a pretext to engage in geopolitical rivalry and replicate bloc confrontation,” Mao said.