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Solomon IslandsA large Chinese defence and aerospace conglomerate, AVIC Commercial Aircraft, is looking to upgrade 35 airstrips in the Solomon Islands to help transform the Pacific country into a regional “aeronautical hub”, according to a document disclosed by the ABC.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between AVIC and the Solomons was published on the ABC website here, along with a story on the same.
Key points as outlined by the ABC:

  • The MOU lays out a sweeping vision for the Solomon Islands to receive direct flights from China and become a “regional hub”;
  • It does not appear that AVIC or the Solomon Islands government has moved ahead with plans since the 2019 signing;
  • The pandemic has been blamed for potentially stalling the agreement.

For its part, the Solomon Islands government agreed to buy six aircraft from state-owned AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China, a subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned defence operation) which has designed and built small and medium-sized aircraft for use in developing countries, according to the ABC.
The document was signed by Solomon Islands Minister for Communication and Aviation Peter Shanel Agovaka at Yanliang, near Xi’an, in November 2019, a few months after the Solomon Islands switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing.
Neither AVIC nor Solomon Islands have proceeded with any initiatives outlined in the MOU after signing it – little wonder, as the Covid-19 pandemic arrived shortly after.
Now, however, the deal is seen alongside the recent security agreement between the Solomon Islands and China, which has become a contentious issue in the looming Australian Federal Election.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese says more should have been done to prevent China from getting a foothold in the Solomon Islands. The country is viewed by some to be “on Australia’s doorstep” as the distance from Cairns and Honiara International Airport in the Solomons’ capital is just 1745 kilometres, a flight time of about 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Solomon Airlines has not moved to buy any new planes from the Chinese firm. It currently operates just one international aircraft – an Airbus A320 – plus three smaller Twin Otters and a Dash 8 for domestic routes.
Solomon Airlines chief executive, Brett Gebers, told the ABC he was unaware of the MOU.
Australia and New Zealand are already working to upgrade runways on Taro Island near Choiseul Bay and Seghe Airport on the New Georgia Islands, while Japan and the World Bank are funding a runway upgrade at Honiara International Airport.
Upgrades to air services and facilities are generally seen as positive, but in this case some critics suspect strategic motives may play a part in China’s thinking.
Other analysts dispute contentions that the South Pacific is China’s prime focus, saying the Asian power is currently concentrating on keeping Covid at bay – and in the longer term will be more concerned with advancing its ambitious Belt and Road investment and infrastructure program.
A signature policy of China’s President Xi Jinping, Belt and Road entails extending China’s economic reach in the other direction – to the west across Central Asia to the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
Written by Peter Needham