Since China and Solomon Islands concluded an intergovernmental framework agreement on security cooperation in April, there have been speculations in the West about China’s intention of building a military base in the country and moving in on South Pacific security affairs. As Australia is in the midst of a general election, the pact has quickly become an opportunity for the two major political parties and the media to orchestrate smear campaigns.

On May 3, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare condemned the attempt of Australia and its allies to undermine his government by buying local agents, saying his country was being treating like “kindergarten students walking around with Colt 45s in our hands.” Describing the backlash as “very insulting” to his country, he said that by signing the agreement with China, “we placed the country on the right side of history.”

On April 24, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison claimed that a Chinese military base in the Solomon Islands would be a “red line” for his government as it would pose a threat to Australia’s defense security. In response, Senior Colonel Zhou Bo (ret.), senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy and China Forum expert, said in a recent interview with Al Jazeera that the “red line” rhetoric was irresponsible as the Australian government was neither capable nor qualified to draw the so-called “red line” on cooperation between two other sovereign states.

Watch the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHogGPZ5jw0