Pacific pledge on base for China

THE Solomon Islands will not be home to a Chinese military base, its Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has assured Pacific leaders, a pledge welcomed by Australia.

However, the Pacific nations on Thursday declared their region was facing a “climate emergency”.

On the final day of the 51st Pacific Islands Forum, Mr Sogavare said he was concerned a foreign military base in the Solomons would make his country and people “targets for potential military strikes”.

“The moment we establish a foreign military base, we immediately become an enemy,” he said.

Anthony Albanese said he was “very confident” Mr Sogavare would keep his word after a constructive first faceto-face meeting.

“I welcome his comments in ruling out there being a Chinese base,” the Prime Minister said.

Asked if there was anything more Australia could do to ensure a base was not established in the Solomons, Mr Albanese took a swipe at the former government saying: “engage”.

“That was something missing, frankly, in the lead-up to the announcement earlier this year,” he said, adding people should be dealt with at “face value”.

Following several hours of candid, closed-door talks, leaders also endorsed a 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific continent, stating climate change remained its “single greatest existential threat”.

A communique from the meeting reveals all 16 nations declared the region was “facing a climate emergency that threatens the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of its people and ecosystems”.

The forum said this underscored the urgency to limit global warming to 1.5C through “rapid, deep and sustained reductions” in greenhouse gas emissions.