Potential China military base in Solomons

[at6]

I'll google that, thanks.

Careful! Too much Googling will cause pimples, blindness, and insanity.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Careful! Too much Googling with cause pimples, blindness, and insanity.

Well, that explains it. Thanks!

 

[GrauGeist]

All depends on what you're googling for

 

[wingnuts]

Now You know how Russia feels about having Ukraine as a member of NATO next door.

 

[GrauGeist]

Now You know how Russia feels about having Ukraine as a member of NATO next door.

But unlike China, NATO is not aggressive.

And Russia has always been paranoid of it's borders, going back long before NATO ever existed.

 

[newst]

I found your entire post interesting, but am especially curious about this point. Do you have any further reading you could suggest so that I could get more insight? I'm aware of the dissatisfaction over Covid zero-tolerance, but was unaware about coal shortages and housing issues and would like to learn more.

Not further reading per se, but these two YouTube channels provide well researched daily updates on the Chinese and world economies, without political bias or click-bait hysteria; Joe Blogs and China Update.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Now You know how Russia feels about having Ukraine as a member of NATO next door.

If I was China I'd be going northward, not south. Cancel the 1991 Sino-Soviet Border Agreement, copy Russia's playbook and claim that ethnic Chinese in the now disputed border areas need protection. This could include the historically Chinese regions of the Amur Oblast and Primorsky Krai. Roughly, the regions that neighbor China are home to 4.3 million Russians, where 109 million Chinese live across the border.

Russia, China and the Far East Question

Are there any Chinese 49ers around?

thediplomat.com

If taking Taiwan is beginning to look like an impossibility, President Xi could see the absolute paper tiger that is Russia, orchestrate the justification and then seize some of the border territory. What's Russia or the USA going to say or do? Moscow is not going to launch nukes against a nuclear armed China, and the USA will likely call up Beijing to make a new friend.

 

[GTX]

If I was China I'd be going northward, not south.

While I doubt it would happen, it would be somewhat amusing to see what would result.

 

[GTX]

Solomon Islands Prime Minister ups ante with criticism of Australia while praising China during tirade in parliament

The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands launches a tirade in parliament, suggesting Australia and its allies are deliberately trying to undermine his government, criticising the Western response to Russia's invasion and praising China's treatment of Christians.

www.abc.net.au

 

[SaparotRob]

Solomon Islands Prime Minister ups ante with criticism of Australia while praising China during tirade in parliament

The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands launches a tirade in parliament, suggesting Australia and its allies are deliberately trying to undermine his government, criticising the Western response to Russia's invasion and praising China's treatment of Christians.

www.abc.net.au

It's almost like comedy relief. Sogavare wants to be a Lukashenko too?

 

[Denniss]

"Give idiots power and they'll crash the world or at least their country".
Unbelievable this guy

 

[Wildcat]

Yup. Sogavare has been bought out...

 

[Shinpachi]

Praising China was what Oceanea PMs did for a decade too if I remember correctly.
Sogavare will be criticized by his people in the near future.
Japanese people still pay resptects to China's ancient culture as one of their old neighbors but never their "business" style.

 

[Shinpachi]

In 2014, Japan failed sales promotion of the Soryu class submarine to Australia.
Japanese media analysed it like this -

"China is by far the number one export partner for Australia, with 57% having a "good impression" and 33% having a "bad impression" of China in polls. It would be a nuisance to be misunderstood to adopt a Japanese submarine and join the anti-China alliance, so it is possible that they dared to partner with France."

Source: 日本の中国嫌いが徒に？潜水艦売り込み失敗の真相
Original text in Japanese

 

[wuzak]

1. A base in the Solomons that would allow Chinese aircraft to strike Australia is a base in the Solomans that can be struck by Australian aircraft and missiles, both land and sea-based. That base is a much more concentrated target than the continent of Australia. Much easier to take out in a single strike as it sits, unmoveable, while the Royal Australian Navy's new, nuclear-powered submarines sneak up on it.

When? In 2060?

The switch to buying nuclear subs happened last year. An evaluation process, expected to last 18 months, was announced at that time, but whether that has started I do not know.

As of now there is no definite purchase plan or ETA for the subs, except for a rubbery estimate that the first one should be available by 2040.

3, China's success rate in establishing dominance over ports and other major facilities in impoverished Asian and African countries isn't that great. Recently a small number of countries caught up in the Chinese debt traps have experienced abrupt changes of government, usually violent, with the new leadership showing China the door. That could be potentially significant in the Solomans where the leader of one of the strongest provinces is in heated opposition to the national government. It is definitely a "watch this space" situation.

China has a port in Darwin.

Most Australian governments seem to view public assets as things to be sold. The NT government sold the Darwin port to a Chinese company on a 99 year lease a few years ago. The federal government, the same as the one today, said OK and waved the sale through.

Now we are in an election campaign the federal government is trying to sell a plan to build a second port in Darwin, for exporting raw materials, mainly to China, through a port that is not owned by Chinese interests.

Chinese interests also have shares in privatised electricity and gas networks in Australia.

 

[wuzak]

In 2014, Japan failed sales promotion of the Soryu class submarine to Australia.
Japanese media analysed it like this -

"China is by far the number one export partner for Australia, with 57% having a "good impression" and 33% having a "bad impression" of China in polls. It would be a nuisance to be misunderstood to adopt a Japanese submarine and join the anti-China alliance, so it is possible that they dared to partner with France."

Source: 日本の中国嫌いが徒に？潜水艦売り込み失敗の真相
Original text in Japanese

Then PM Abbott went to Japan and then came back with a deal to build new subs in Japan. Without any tendering or evaluation process.

When the evaluation process took place, electoral issues rose in importance, and a requirement was added for a certain percentage of the subs to be built in Australia. It is likely that the percentage to be built in Australia was what swayed the decision in favour of the French (I don't think the Japanese were too keen on the idea).

 

[Shinpachi]

Then PM Abbott went to Japan and then came back with a deal to build new subs in Japan. Without any tendering or evaluation process.

When the evaluation process took place, electoral issues rose in importance, and a requirement was added for a certain percentage of the subs to be built in Australia. It is likely that the percentage to be built in Australia was what swayed the decision in favour of the French (I don't think the Japanese were too keen on the idea).

Thanks for your kind comment wuzak.
A viewpoint for the importance of strategic partnership in the Pacific looked being forgotten in the selection to me at that time. I do not know Mr. Abbott's reputation or popularity there but he looked understanding it well though resigned as PM soon.

 

[wuzak]

Thanks for your kind comment wuzak.
A viewpoint for the importance of strategic partnership in the Pacific looked being forgotten in the selection to me at that time. I do not know Mr. Abbott's reputation or popularity there but he looked understanding it well though resigned as PM soon.

He didn't resign, he was challenged and beaten for the leadership of the party, and thus the prime ministership.

He lost his seat in parliament in the 2019 election.

 

[Macandy]

China will not be allowed to build a military presence in the Solomons for exactly the same reasons the US committed everything in 1942 to removing a Japanese airfield and base

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

China will not be allowed to build a military presence in the Solomons for exactly the same reasons the US committed everything in 1942 to removing a Japanese airfield and base

While I agree in essence, I wonder what it will take to stop it.