Author: Jonah Blank
Affiliation: Visiting Research Fellow at the National University of Singapore, RAND Corporation, former staff member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee (12 years of service)
Organization/Publisher: The Atlantic
Date/Place: May 5, 2022/Washington DC, USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1726
Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/05/china-security-agreement-solomon-islands/629771/
Keywords: Solomon Islands, China, U.S, New Military Strategy
Brief:
It appears that China and the US are entering a new confrontation line as a security deal between the Solomon Islands and China has raised fears of Beijing’s growing presence throughout the region. China’s opponents worry that it may shift its security strategy, from a focus on economic influence alone to an increasing focus on military dominance. China is the largest trading partner of most countries in East and Southeast Asia, and the largest source of imports for almost all of the continent. As a result, it possesses a financial weapon that is more powerful than a fleet of battleships. Unlike the United States, which always seeks to show its military power. In the author’s opinion, the balance of investment versus firepower is shifting. In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious program of military modernization. What worries China’s opponents is that it was willing to engage in military confrontations, which the previous leadership strongly rejected. All this makes China’s intentions in the former British Protectorate even more worrying. Australia is the most directly affected; if Chinese warships begin to patrol the South Pacific, the long eastern coast of Australia will require protection. The writer raises the question of whether China is committed to establishing a military presence farther from its territory and uncomfortably close to the presence of many apprehensive opponents. The writer believes that it is natural for a superpower like China to not be satisfied with using economic power alone, but also to turn to military power if necessary, which will put it under observation and watchfulness from all its opponents in the region. This will lead to an uncertain future and herald great changes at the international level.
By: Taqwa Nedal Abu Kmeil, CIGA Research Assistant
