One-time security mandarin Nick Warner says China had been looking for a military base in the region since 2015.
The nation’s former spymaster warns Australia has squandered its chances to form meaningful relationships with the Pacific, leaving it
“With good and timely information, nimble and well-funded government action, and clever and sensitive diplomacy, none of these and other Chinese hopes for a base came off. But as others have said, this was a game of whack-a-mole. We whacked successfully, but China wasn’t going to give up its ambition for a military base.
“The Solomon Islands’ sovereign decision reflects the geostrategic reality of the time we are now in as China continues to seek a security presence in the Pacific,” she said.“These are matters we have been dealing with for some time. It’s an issue we as a region and a family are facing, as other parts of the Indo-Pacific are facing it.
“We have done that successfully. We will continue to do that, and no document signed and kept away from public view is going to change that.”Senator Payne said the government had been at the forefront of addressing the changing geostrategic reality in the Indo-Pacific, including China’s assertiveness.
He said a fundamental reset in relations with the region was required, including the possibility of a political association between Australia and some of the smaller nations. This could be similar to the political compacts the US and New Zealand have, whereby they assume the security responsibilities on behalf of smaller countries.Mr Warner said the Pacific Step-up had been a good start but should have been the first part of a long journey.
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