Solomon Islands and China alliance

[Knobby22]

I would have thought we don't do much, that the U.S doesn't know about, my guess would be that if the Solomon's issue was highlighted to Australia 12 months ago the U.S would have been in the loop.
But who knows it is all speculation, but intelligence collecting I think would be way ahead of the curve, Trump was giving China the push back years ago, to think this is just a bolt out of the blue is doubtful IMO.
This Russia/China new world order thing, will be due to a perceived U.S Government in disarray IMO.
The semiconductor chip shortage has been going on for a long time now and yet no one has really come up with a viable explanation for it, but I would think it would be something to do with stopping China and Russia getting access to the technology.
Time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if China doesn't buy a few more Indo Pacific nations, what do we do go into a bidding war with them? Best of luck with that.

We didn't act, we had the local embassy, they didn't have one.
The government was approached by the opposition leader and ignored him. The USA flew out their number 1 guy asap and ended up a day after it was signed. They are pissed off but are too nice to say it.

 

[IFocus]

The alarm bells have been rings for years, the Chinese didn't just turn up the other day, Australia defence / security / intelligence agencies must have been screaming but no one acted or thought a quick visit will sort it.

If Australia defence / security / intelligence agencies weren't ringing the alarms then WTF, but I think they were Morrison would blame them in an instant.

The US are furious Australia's back yard and we stuffed it, makes Australia the laughing stock of the western world.

Genie is out of the bottle now and wont be going back in.

 

[sptrawler]

Best we start teaching Mandarin, we arent much good at teaching anything else.
By the way guys, would the U.S be the same U.S we have been slagging off for years, what a bunch of jerks we are.
Now all of a sudden the U.S are upset because we havent been diplomatic to the Solomon Islands and you have been calling the U.S fluck wits for the last 5 years, do you guys actually listen to yourselves.
What a hoot, talk about no moral compass, I would say no self appraisal is closer to home.LOL

 

[moXJO]

Truth was that the US government under Obama thought we were just going to go with the Chinese.

Obama dropped the ball way back when. So they can't get that pissed.

Scomo made a complete mess of it though. But given its been fires,floods,covid, floods, Ukraine- I suppose there were issues taking away focus

 

[sptrawler]

Truth was that the US government under Obama thought we were just going to go with the Chinese.

Obama dropped the ball way back when. So they can't get that pissed.

Scomo made a complete mess of it though. But given its been fires,floods,covid, floods, Ukraine- I suppose there were issues taking away focus

We are jerks, simple as that, we do nothing but criticise.
We tell the U.K they're jerks, we tell the U.S they're jerks, well I certainly hope they haven't been listening.
We deserve everything we get IMO.

 

[IFocus]

MW sums it up pretty well IMHO

 

[sptrawler]

Like I said, there is no way Australia can compete with China in a bidding war, it will now depend if the Solomon Island likes what it gets when they become tenants in their own country.

Leaked documents reveal Chinese company's aviation plans for Solomon Islands to become a 'regional hub'

Documents from 2019 reveal one of China's largest defence and aerospace companies promised to upgrade dozens of airstrips in Solomon Islands as part of a plan to transform the Pacific Islands country into an "aeronautical hub" for the region.

www.abc.net.au

One of China's largest defence and aerospace companies promised to upgrade almost three dozen airstrips in Solomon Islands as part of an ambitious plan to transform the Pacific Islands country into an "aeronautical hub" for the region.
In return, the Solomon Islands government said it would purchase six aircraft from AVIC Commercial Aircraft, a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned defence behemoth which has built small and medium-sized aeroplanes to be sold to developing countries.

The proposed exchange was laid out two-and-a-half years ago in a memorandum of understanding (MOU), which has been obtained by the ABC.

The document was signed by Solomon Islands Minister for Communication and Aviation Peter Shanel Agovaka at Yanliang, near Xi'an in central China, in November 2019, only a few months after the Pacific Island country switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taiwan.

 

[Craton]

All "tribes" have to feed their people and have the resources to keep the wheels of commerce and economics turning.

Thus, just like China has its big mitts on the Congolese blood cobalt mines (and also have those local police in their pocket), it wasn't surprising to find that a very large swag of resources from the Pacific are heading into China.

A global audit of Pacific resource extraction undertaken by the Guardian’s Pacific Project has revealed that:

Pacific Plunder

The extraction of valuable resources from across the Pacific has made companies billions but comes at a sometimes catastrophic cost.

Couple of extracts from the article.

• China dominates resource extraction in the region, taking just over half the total tonnes of the minerals, timber and fish exported.
• In some industries, Pacific communities see less than 12% of the final value of the resources being extracted, with little paid in royalties or reinvested in the countries which own the resources. Despite their collective natural resource wealth, GDP per capita remains low for many Pacific Island states.
• The extraction each year of billions of dollars worth of minerals, oil, gas and timber – US$11.8bn in 2019 - is causing environmental devastation, poisoning rivers and forests, and degrading food security.
• The scale of these extractive industries is also having significant social and health impacts on Pacific people.

Australia is there by $ value too although I'd say we have better trade practices.

China is the Pacific’s biggest customer whether measured by weight or US dollars. But Australia is close behind when measured in value – $2.8bn to China’s $3.3bn in 2019. This is due to the fact that while China takes a lot of wood and fish from the region – which are heavy but relatively inexpensive – Australia imports valuable minerals, such as gold

China’s lack of laws against importing illegal timber, and poor accountability for environmental or social impacts mean the impact of their resource extraction is often worse than for companies from countries like Australia, which are subject to more scrutiny.

“China’s mineral, timber, fossil fuel, food and other imports from Pacific Island nations are staggering in magnitude. They’re creating enormous challenges for sustainable development in the region,” says Prof Bill Laurance from James Cook University.

At a guess, similar to the Congo the Solomon Islands will not benefit greatly from the Chinese involvement unless you're one of the Solomon Island corrupt "elite/oligarch/thugs".

 

[sptrawler]

At a guess, similar to the Congo the Solomon Islands will not benefit greatly from the Chinese involvement unless you're one of the Solomon Island corrupt "elite/oligarch/thugs".

I don't think for one minute China gives a ratz ar$e about the Solomons, it is only our media that is trying to make a headline, to undermine our inability to stop it and in doing so undermining our national pride and credibility.
But hey who gives a $hit as long as it sells. ?
Can't wait to see how all the social, cultural, sexual issues rate in about 7 years.

 

[Craton]

I don't think for one minute China gives a ratz ar$e about the Solomons, <SNIP>

Certainly true regarding human life there...

 

[JohnDe]

The future as dictatorships grow -