Amid South China Sea row, tension rises in Indo-Pacific as China signs security pact with Solomon Islands

Washington/Beijing: China's new security pact with the Solomon Islands has become a new source of friction in the Indo-Pacific. The Solomon Islands, a nation of six major islands in the South Pacific, has signed a security agreement with China.

The United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand have expressed concerns about the security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands. These countries are already locked in a dispute with China in South China sea.

After signing of the pact, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the new pact seeks to enhance "social stability and long-term tranquility in the Solomon Islands". He further said the two sides will conduct cooperation for maintenance of social order, protection of the safety of people's lives and property, humanitarian assistance and natural disaster response. Beijing will also help Solomon Islands strengthen its capacity building in safeguarding its own security.

The White House informed that US National Security Council Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink convened a meeting in Honolulu with US Navy Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and senior officials from Australia, Japan, and New Zealand on developments in the Pacific Islands.

"Officials from the four countries represented also shared concerns about a proposed security framework between the Solomon Islands and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its serious risks to a free and open Indo-Pacific," the White House said.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price has also expressed concern saying the the broad nature of the security agreement may allow China to deploy its military forces in the country. According to him, the pact could stir up instability in the island nation and set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region.