Honiara, Solomon Islands/CMEDIA: The Solomon Islands said it would not allow a Chinese military base in the Pacific islands nation despite its plan to sign a security pact with Beijing after the nation received a backlash in the region.
A day after officials from the two countries initialed a draft agreement on security, the office of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Friday said the agreement does not invite China to establish a military base, reports The South China Morning Post.
“Government is conscious of the security ramification of hosting a military base, and it will not be careless to allow such an initiative to take place under its watch,” a statement said.
China has been engaged in a deep conflict with many of its neighboring nations in the past couple of years.
