It's arguable that advanced countries help less advanced country's develop their infrastructure in the APAC. It has become a competition between Australia the US etc. and China. In 2018 the Australian government under Turnbull counter bid Huawei and built a high speed internet cable from the Solomon Islands to Australia.
Malcolm Turnbull has pledged $200 million to fund a high-speed, undersea communications cable between Australia and the Solomon Islands. The Prime Minister confirmed the contribution in Canberra on Wednesday, while meeting with his Solomon Islands counterpart, Rick Houenipwela. The offer...
www.skynews.com.au
Although this was also in Australia's interest we don't want Huawei hooking into our internet backbone. For some reason.
Malcolm Turnbull has cited Pacific Islands cybersecurity in affirming funding for a subsea cable to be built between Australia, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson says claims that Beijing intends to build a military base on Solomon Islands after signing a security agreement with the Pacific nation are "completely fabricated".
www.abc.net.au
hmmmmmm.
This is concerning. I know the Solomon Islands are not in the South China sea. However if the Chinese build a military base this close to Australian soil (~3000km from aus) that is a major problem. Australia has been active in the Philippines working with our regional partners and the US etc. to disrupt ISIS. We do not want a well organized and motivated terror group on out doorstep. I do feel like the current Aus government has dropped the ball when it comes to the Chinese military establishing a foothold in the Solomon Islands though.
Greed is the issue. The people of Solomons don't want the Chinese anywhere near their islands. Unfortunately the ruling class have been bought off with straight out bribes, houses, cars etc.
Their ministers basically asked how much will Australia pay us in cold hard cash not to allow the Chinese to go ahead.
Greed is the issue. The people of Solomons don't want the Chinese anywhere near their islands. Unfortunately the ruling class have been bought off with straight out bribes, houses, cars etc.
Their ministers basically asked how much will Australia pay us in cold hard cash not to allow the Chinese to go ahead.
Debt dependency? Sri Lanka is a nice example of overstepping ability to fund debt thereby becoming dependent to the lender.
This is the simple chinese colonial blue print to self perpetual misery.
Is it best to step back and watch it happen?
Yes, that is for them to find out. They are a sovereign nation so let them figure it out. It's either you believe in sovereignty of nations or you agree with Russia that you have the right to intervene for your "security concerns"
but its ok because we are the good guys and the people want us there, its the gov that is corrupt.... yeah my country has run some variance of that line since the 1800's so you could say I am a little jaded when it comes to US foreign policy expressed as some sort of military action....
...and as Russia has pointed out recently there is no international rule and and order.... to be clear, Russia's invasion is wrong.
Yes, that is for them to find out. They are a sovereign nation so let them figure it out. It's either you believe in sovereignty of nations or you agree with Russia that you have the right to intervene for your "security concerns"
Indeed, if they actually make or made a serious effort to win the islands over or influence their politics before China steppeed it, it would have been different
The only interest until now was raw resources. These seemed to end in bad blood.
Don't know why they thought China is any better, avoid taxes, un-restored logging land, ship sank and abandoned now it pollutes the locals. The roads they put in for logging are great, then don't get maintained so the water cuts them at crossings and potholes at puddles. They are down to scrounging small regrowth from the previous time it was logged in the 70s.
They'll have nothing to show for it.
Indeed, if they actually make or made a serious effort to win the islands over or influence their politics before China steppeed it, it would have been different
Unfortunately that didn't happen it could be argued that Australian intelligence agencies and the ADF were to focused on the Philippines and ISIS as well as illegal immigrants.
Not that I am complaining about the ADF targeting ISIS in the Philippines or refugees. It seems like the current Australian administration missed the strategic picture. When it comes to an aggressive state actor like China.
However the Australian tax payer is now paying ~5 billion dollars for non existent French made submarines. You have to look at it in the long term.
Australia's torpedoed French submarine program could eventually cost taxpayers up to $5.5 billion, despite the contract being torn up well before construction was to begin
Indeed, if they actually make or made a serious effort to win the islands over or influence their politics before China steppeed it, it would have been different
They spent a combined total of approx $3B over a decade on Solomon Islands development.
Despite all that, governance in Solomon Islands is still largely a doctrine of get everything one can for oneself and one’s wontok(tribe) to tide them over when they get removed from office for corruption and mismanagement until they get back in to steal again.
It‘s not about building for the future, it’s about stealing for today.
Genuine progress was made, but it was always fragile.
Not unlike a post rehab crackhead, building a simple but respectable life, and then offered some Chinese crack, hookers, and dirty money.
Realpolitik malevolent fight club has disrupted benevolent liberalism.
It was a decision that baffled everyone from NT locals to Barack Obama, a strategic asset lease that slipped past the Foreign Investment Review Board and Defence. It's the most-asked Curious Darwin question, so we look at how the port sale propelled the sleepy territory into a geopolitical brawl...
www.abc.net.au
This the same port that the US Marine Rotational Force uses.
Andrew Robb a former member of the house of reps/cabinet minister under Abbott brokered the deal to sell the Darwin port to the Chinese/Landbridge. When he left politics he went to work for Landbridge for a 880k a year salary. I feel safer already.
Behind closed doors, Disney, and indeed all of Hollywood, have been self-censoring plots, characters, and dialogues for decades to appease the Chinese Communist Party.
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