Fears China will exploit Australia's election to secure its controversial military deal with Solomon Islands are prompting a mid-campaign dash to Honiara by a federal minister.
Key points:
- Zed Seselja is scheduled to fly into the Solomon Islands to discuss Australia's concerns
- An overseas trip by a minister during an election "caretaker" period is considered unusual
- Seselja is in the fight of his political life for his ACT Senate position
The ABC can reveal the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, is scheduled to fly into the Solomon Islands capital to discuss Australia's concerns directly with top officials and political leaders on Wednesday.
An overseas trip by a minister during an election "caretaker" period is considered unusual and highlights the growing anxiety in Australia over the soon-to-be-signed deal between China and Solomon Islands.
Under a leaked draft of the document, Beijing could be allowed to station navy ships and defence personnel to protect billions of dollars in Chinese infrastructure investment in the developing country.
Senator Seselja, who is in the fight of his political life, will have to suspend his campaigning in the ACT for his Senate position, to head to the Pacific nation.
In a statement, the minister said there had been continued "direct engagement" over the proposed security pact, including discussions between Foreign Minister Marise Payne and her Solomon Islands counterpart.
"Our view remains that the Pacific family will continue to meet the security needs of our region."
Over recent weeks, numerous figures have publicly and privately warned of the strategic dangers posed to Australia and its allies if China is able to establish a naval presence so close to the Queensland coast.
Last week, two of Australia's top intelligence chiefs quietly travelled to Solomon Islands to meet Prime Minister Sogavare to raise the government's deep concerns over the agreement with China.
The ABC has confirmed Labor has been consulted and is supportive of Senator Seselja's urgent diplomatic mission but Pat Conroy, the Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, will not join him.
And the Shadow Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, has again criticised the government's handling of the security agreement, accusing the Coalition of fumbling a key security concern.
"This is happening on Mr Morrison's watch — the warnings have been there for months, the draft agreement public for weeks — but he has failed to front up and explain how Australia is responding," Senator Wong said.
"We need to work with the Pacific family and allies to build a region where sovereignty is respected — and where Australia is the partner of choice."
On Tuesday, it emerged the Chinese embassy in Solomon Islands made a failed bid to import a sniper rifle, two machine guns and dozens of pistols and rifles into Honiara last year after violent riots rocked the city.
The US National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, is expected to travel to Honiara this month to relay America's concerns to Prime Minister Sogavare.
In October 2001, then-prime minister John Howard flew to the APEC summit in China in the middle of the federal election campaign.
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2022-04-12 07:08:51Z
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