Solomon Islands–China Security Agreement: Full Timeline, 2019 to 2026

What the agreement is

Beijing describes the deal as an “inter-governmental framework agreement on security cooperation,” signed for China by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and for Solomon Islands by Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele (China MFA briefing, Apr. 19, 2022). China’s foreign ministry said cooperation would cover maintenance of social order, protection of people’s lives and property, humanitarian assistance and natural disaster response, and that it “does not target any third party” (China MFA briefing, Apr. 19, 2022).

The agreement matters beyond Solomon Islands because the country has no military, so its police carry a larger share of national security than in countries with defence forces (AP via NBC News, June 3, 2026). An agreement about policing support is therefore an agreement about the core of the state’s security apparatus.

This page is ISPI’s single reference timeline. Our earlier commentary on three years on (May 20), a new prime minister (May 30), the review announcement (June 14), the non-disclosure clause (July 4), the regional treaty proposal (Aug. 18) and the fisheries surveillance request (Sept. 3) covers each development in more depth, and the Solomon Islands research hub collects related research.

2017 to 2021: before the China agreement

Solomon Islands already had a security treaty with Australia. It was signed on August 14, 2017, replaced the treaty behind the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), and entered into force on June 13, 2018. It lets Australian police, defence and civilian personnel deploy quickly when both countries consent (Australian DFAT).

In September 2019 the Solomon Islands cabinet voted to switch diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing, following a government taskforce report that recommended the change (The Guardian, Sept. 16, 2019). The two governments signed a joint communiqué establishing diplomatic relations in Beijing on September 21, 2019 (Gov.cn, Sept. 21, 2019).

The Australian treaty was activated for the first time in November 2021, after civil unrest in Honiara. Australia deployed federal police, defence and foreign affairs personnel alongside contingents from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand (Australian DFAT). By early 2022 a contingent of Chinese police officers was also in the country to train local police (ABC News, Mar. 24, 2022).

2022: the leak, the initialling and the signature

On March 24, 2022, a draft of the China framework agreement appeared on social media. The ABC verified the document as genuine. The draft said Solomon Islands may “request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces,” and that China may “make ship visits, to carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands” (ABC News, Mar. 24, 2022). It was unclear at the time whether that draft was the version going to cabinet (ABC News, Mar. 24, 2022).

A week later, on March 31, the Solomon Islands government said officials of both countries had initialled the agreement and that it would be signed later (The Guardian, Mar. 31, 2022). On April 19, China’s foreign ministry announced that the two foreign ministers had signed it “the other day,” without giving a date or place (China MFA briefing, Apr. 19, 2022).

What is and is not known. The signed text has not been published. Public reporting on its contents still rests on the March 2022 draft. A clause in that draft said neither party would disclose cooperation information to a third party without the other’s written consent (ABC News, June 10, 2026). Whether the signed version is the same is not public.

2023 to 2025: policing cooperation deepens

During Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s visit to China from July 9 to 15, 2023, the two governments announced a comprehensive strategic partnership. Their joint statement said China “will continue to provide support and help to Solomon Islands as needed in strengthening Solomon Islands’ police law enforcement capacity” (China-Solomon Islands joint statement, July 10, 2023). Reuters reported that the two sides signed a policing cooperation agreement during the visit (Reuters, July 10, 2023).

After the 2024 national election, Parliament chose Sogavare’s former foreign minister, Jeremiah Manele, as prime minister on May 2, 2024 (Reuters, May 2, 2024). The Australian-led assistance force deployed under the 2017 treaty, extended to support the 2023 Pacific Games and the 2024 election, concluded on August 18, 2024 (Australian DFAT).

2026: a new government and a review

On May 7, 2026, Manele lost a no-confidence vote (Reuters, May 7, 2026). Eight days later Parliament elected opposition leader Matthew Wale prime minister, 26 votes to 22 (Reuters, May 15, 2026). Wale had called for the China agreement to be made public while in opposition (AP via NBC News, June 3, 2026).

On his first overseas visit, to Canberra on June 3, Wale said the agreement would be reviewed, along with other security agreements Solomon Islands holds with other countries (AP via NBC News, June 3, 2026). He and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to begin negotiating a comprehensive treaty (Australia-Solomon Islands leaders’ statement, June 3, 2026).

Back in Honiara on June 10, Wale said the government could not publish the agreement: “Unfortunately, the China Security Agreement includes a non-disclosure provision. It is legally binding and was entered into by the previous government” (PINA, June 11, 2026). He said the government would amend Parliament’s standing orders so that any agreement it proposes to sign with another party is first presented to Parliament for scrutiny (PINA, June 11, 2026).

On July 28, Solomon Islands and the United States signed the Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations (U.S. State Department treaty listing), a shiprider deal that lets Solomon Islands officers embark on U.S. Coast Guard vessels for joint maritime surveillance and enforcement. The government said the country keeps full authority over its waters and laws, while opposition leader Sogavare said the deal raised serious sovereignty concerns (RNZ). The IUU fishing explainer explains why shiprider agreements matter for Pacific fisheries enforcement.

On August 10, RNZ reported Wale telling Parliament that the review of the China agreement had begun. He said he was first allowed to read the agreement only one day before his May meeting in Canberra, and he asked Sogavare to support the review: “this House must support the principle that no treaty should stand without the informed consent of Parliament” (RNZ, Aug. 10, 2026). He also said China remains an important partner and that Solomon Islands is “friends to all and enemies to none” (RNZ, Aug. 10, 2026).

Where things stand in October 2026

• The China agreement remains in force and unpublished, and its review is under way (RNZ, Aug. 10, 2026). ISPI found no public report that the review has concluded.
• The Australia treaty reached in-principle agreement in early September, according to ABC News, which reported a leaked message describing more than A$980 million in additional Australian funding; Australia’s Pacific minister said negotiations were “underway” and declined to comment on details before signing (ABC News, Sept. 7, 2026). Foreign ministers met again on September 22 to work toward finalising it (SIBC, Sept. 22, 2026).
• The regional track: at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, leaders “noted the proposal by the Government of Solomon Islands on the establishment of a Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Regional Security Treaty, encouraged its further consideration by Members, and acknowledged the need to undertake further consultations” (55th Pacific Islands Forum communiqué, para. 28). See the Boe Declaration explainer, Biketawa Declaration explainer and Pacific Islands Forum explainer for how regional security cooperation already works.
• Domestic politics remain fluid. Wale faced and survived a no-confidence motion in early September 2026, which his home affairs minister withdrew (ABC News, Sept. 7, 2026).

Why it matters for island governance

The ISPI question is not which partner Solomon Islands should choose. That is a sovereign decision for Solomon Islanders. The question is whether a small state has the legal, analytical and parliamentary capacity to evaluate agreements like this before it signs them, and to review them afterward.

The timeline shows the pressure point. An agreement that a successor prime minister says he could read only shortly before a foreign visit, and cannot publish, is hard for Parliament or the public to assess (RNZ, Aug. 10, 2026; PINA, June 11, 2026). Wale’s proposed change to the standing orders is one response to that gap (PINA, June 11, 2026).

ISPI’s WP-10: Democratic Resilience in the Pacific and PB-18: Small States, Large Pressures look at why institutional technical capacity underpins democratic resilience in Pacific Island nations facing outside pressure, and CM-14: China and Pacific Security looks at community-level public safety effects of China’s security agreements in the region.

For governments reviewing any bilateral security agreement, three practical checks follow from the record above:

• Know what the text says about disclosure before signing, including whether Parliament can see it.
• Map each agreement against the others already in force, since Solomon Islands now holds security arrangements with Australia, China and the United States.
• Build review into the agreement itself, with a date and a responsible office, so that a review does not depend on a change of government.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Solomon Islands–China security agreement?

An intergovernmental framework agreement on security cooperation between China and Solomon Islands. China announced on April 19, 2022 that the two foreign ministers had signed it. China says it covers social order, protection of people and property, humanitarian assistance and natural disaster response.

When was the China–Solomon Islands security pact signed?

Officials initialled it on March 31, 2022, and China announced on April 19, 2022 that the foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Jeremiah Manele, had signed it. China did not give the exact date or place of signature.

Has the text of the agreement been published?

No. The only text the public has seen is a draft leaked on March 24, 2022. In June 2026 Prime Minister Matthew Wale said a legally binding non-disclosure provision prevents the government from releasing it.

Is Solomon Islands reviewing the agreement?

Yes. Prime Minister Wale announced a review on June 3, 2026 and told Parliament in August 2026 that it had begun. As of late October 2026 no outcome had been reported.

What other security agreements does Solomon Islands have?

A 2017 bilateral security treaty with Australia, a shiprider agreement with the United States signed July 28, 2026, and a comprehensive treaty with Australia under negotiation since June 2026, with in-principle agreement reported in September 2026.

ISPI publishes its research free under CC BY 4.0. If your government, agency or organization needs a briefing on Pacific security agreements, treaty review capacity, or regional security architecture, you can commission research from ISPI. ISPI is a nonprofit organization; its application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status is pending. Contributions are not tax-deductible until IRS recognition is granted.

Sources

1. The Guardian, “China extends influence in Pacific as Solomon Islands break with Taiwan,” September 16, 2019
2. Gov.cn (Xinhua), “China, Solomon Islands establish diplomatic ties,” September 21, 2019
3. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, “Bilateral Security Treaty” (Australia–Solomon Islands)
4. ABC News, “Leaked documents suggest plans for Chinese military presence in Solomon Islands,” March 24, 2022
5. The Guardian, “Security agreement with China ‘initialled’ by both countries, Solomon Islands says,” March 31, 2022
6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s regular press conference, April 19, 2022
7. Gov.cn (Xinhua), full text of the China–Solomon Islands joint statement on a comprehensive strategic partnership, July 10, 2023
8. Reuters, “China, Solomon Islands sign policing pact in upgrade of ties,” July 10, 2023
9. Reuters, “Solomon Islands picks China-friendly Manele as new prime minister,” May 2, 2024
10. Reuters, “Solomon Islands PM ousted after losing confidence vote,” May 7, 2026
11. Reuters, “Solomon Islands elects former China critic Wale as prime minister,” May 15, 2026
12. Prime Minister of Australia, “Australia–Solomon Islands Leaders’ Meeting” joint statement, June 3, 2026
13. The Associated Press via NBC News, “New prime minister says Solomon Islands will review its secretive security treaty with China,” June 3, 2026
14. ABC News, “Solomon Islands won’t release security pact with China because of non-disclosure clause,” June 10, 2026
15. Pacific Islands News Association, “Solomon Islands PM Wale promises greater transparency in future security agreements,” June 11, 2026
16. U.S. Department of State, Solomon Islands archive: TIAS 26-728, Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations, July 28, 2026
17. RNZ, “Solomon Islands-US shiprider deal raises ‘serious concerns’ over sovereignty,” July 2026
18. RNZ, “Solomon Islands PM urges ‘no more secrecy’ over treaties with other countries,” August 10, 2026
19. Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Fifty-Fifth Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Communiqué, September 2026 (PDF)
20. ABC News, “Australia strikes in-principle agreement with Solomon Islands for new treaty,” September 7, 2026
21. SIBC, “Hou, Wong Advance SI–Aust Treaty Discussions,” September 22, 2026