Solomon Islands block foreign navy vessels

The Solomon Islands has suspended entry into its waters for foreign navy ships pending adoption of a new process for approval of port visits, in a bid to better police its exclusive economic zones.

About the Solomon Islands:

• Solomon Island is an archipelago of about thousands of islands.
• Its capital city is Honiara and it is located on Guadalcanal Island.
• The neighbours are Tuvalu lies in the east, Vanuatu in the south, Australia in the South-west, and Papua New Guinea in the west.
• The government type of Solomon Islands is a constitutional monarchy featured with a parliamentary system of government.
• The Solomon Islands is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
• The economy of the country largely depends upon agriculture and fishing.
• However, some of the natural resources available on the islands are lead, zinc, nickel, and gold.
  
  
  

China’s growing influence:

• The Solomon Islands established a security agreement with China, saying it needed Beijing’s assistance with its domestic security situation.
• According to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Beijing views the Pacific Island region as an important component of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
• Specifically, it sees the region as a critical air freight hub in its so-called Air Silk Road, which connects Asia with Central and South America.
• Solomon Island’s strategic location in the Pacific would be advantageous for China from a military perspective.
• As per CFR, the United States and its regional allies, such as Australia and New Zealand, are concerned that the China-Solomon Islands security pact allows Chinese naval vessels to replenish there.
• That could open the door to a Chinese naval base which would significantly extend China’s military reach in the South Pacific.