Solomons’ tension over batch of fake Chinese rifles
Fears police are training with replicas ‘to upskill to the real version’ after draft of security deal leaked
A MYSTERIOUS shipment of replica rifles which arrived in the Solomon Islands has put locals on edge amid concerns over Beijing’s growing ties with the Pacific nation.
Four wooden crates of fake QBX-95 assault rifles, modelled on those issued to China’s People’s Liberation Army, were surreptitiously offloaded at the Point Cruz peninsula, outside the capital’s international wharf. The Royal Solomon Island Police Force initially said it was investigating, but amid growing public anxiety, Mostyn Mangau, the police commissioner, clarified that the 60 rifles and 150 plastic pistols were “training aides” donated by China.
His announcement was accompanied by photos of police officers in medical masks using the “weapons” in a training session. Mr Mangau said the delivery of cargo on logging ships had become commonplace during the pandemic and dismissed questions about why the shipment was not handled by the Solomon Ports Authority and why it did not have a manifest.
“These are not questions of relevance as long as these firearms are replicas.
There could be an error on the manifest and it is not a question that I should respond to,” he said.
But the secrecy surrounding the arrival and speculation about the true purpose of the replicas has rattled the island nation, which has resurging political and ethnic tensions, but also lies at the heart of a rising geopolitical struggle in the Indo-Pacific.
A 2019 decision by the Solomons government to switch from diplomatic recognition of Taiwan to embrace formal ties with China sparked concern in the US, Australia and New Zealand about Beijing’s expanding economic and military footprint.
These fears were stoked this week by a leaked draft security agreement being negotiated between China and the Solomons that could pave the way for the arrival of Chinese troops and naval warships in the archipelago.
The agreement could have security implications for the whole Pacific by expanding Honiara’s cooperation with Beijing far beyond the police training offered in the wake of unrest in December, into a wider military relationship.
The riots, sparked in part by the 2019 move to deepen ties with Beijing, targeted businesses in Honiara’s Chinatown, causing more than $300million (£227 million) in damage and leaving three people dead.
The ambiguous wording of the draft has raised the question of whether further turmoil could give China the pretext to intensify its operations in the Solomons. Matthew Wale, the leader of the opposition party in the Solomon Islands’ parliament, told the New York Times he feared that the “very general, overarching, vague” agreement could be used for anything.
Dr Anna Powles, of Massey University in New Zealand, said the lack of transparency around the fake guns pointed to the natural conclusion that the police were “training with replica weapons to upskill to the real version”.
She added: “The leaking of the draft agreement on security cooperation is in a climate of considerable unease and insecurity.”
Dr Powles said: “If it comes into force in its current form, it’s absolutely a game-changer. It has the potential to degrade and disrupt security in the Pacific Islands region.”
New Zealand and Australia, traditionally the Solomons’ main security partner, issued statements on Friday opposing the draft deal with Beijing.
Both are wary of any moves that could allow China to cut off key supply lines into Asia and the Pacific in the event of a conflict.
Dr Euan Graham, from Singapore’s International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the leak confirmed suspicions “China has serious intentions to gain military access to the South Pacific, via some kind of toehold arrangement that allows for logistic support for PLA ships, aircraft and military personnel”.