Deciphering the feasibility of PLA bases in the South Pacific (Opinion)
Headlines on the Solomon Islands-China security pact have been splashed across news reports over the past few weeks. The deal came as a surprise to many, not least Australia and the US, who have long been comfortable with a South Pacific region that has not seen any new power player entrenched via such an official security arrangement for decades.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called a Chinese military base in Solomon Islands a ‘red line’. It does not help matters that Morrison is confronted with an upcoming federal election, and the opposition has bitten into this saga to attack his
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Defence Notes
-
Russia is evading sanctions and purchasing US components for its arsenal, warns US Senate
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal has claimed that Russian bombs, missiles and drones “supported by American technologies” have been fatally used on Ukrainians soldiers and civilians.
-
Sweden makes preparations to give Gripens to Ukraine
The 17th package provided by Sweden to Ukraine has seen the Scandinavian country provide SEK48.1 billion (US$4.6 billion) in military support since February 2022, having provided a total of SEK25 billion in 2024.
-
Dutch MoD targets two more frigates as part of future defence plans
The latest defence memorandum from the Dutch government has suggested that funding would be increased, with the procurement of more frigates, F-35s and Leopard 2A8s expected.
-
UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine passes £1 billion milestone
Ukraine’s defence secretary met his UK opposite number in London to mark the milestone and push forward with new defence deals.
-
UK defence funding rocked by budget restrictions
Defence spending cuts are implied by UK ministers’ commitments to help plug a public finance “black hole”.
-
RTX’s unauthorised exports result in $200 million fine
According to the US Department of State, 750 company violations were recorded from 2017 to 2023.