Chinese companies to rent Solomon's island for 75 years

Recently Nihon Keizai Shimbun Electronic Edition reported the following:

 中国企業、ソロモンの島を75年賃借か　豪紙報道

中国・台湾 南西ア・オセアニア

2019/10/18 10:59 (2019/10/18 18:58更新)

【シドニー=松本史】南太平洋の島しょ国、ソロモン諸島のツラギ島を、中国企業が長期賃借しようと地元政府と交渉を進めていることが明らかになった。オーストラリアなどの複数のメディアが18日報じた。ソロモンは9月に台湾と断交し中国と国交を樹立したばかりだ。地政学上の要衝でもあるソロモンでの中国企業の動きは、豪州に加え、中国と南太平洋で覇権を争う米国の強い警戒を招きそうだ。

ツラギ島は面積は約2平方キロメートルで、ソロモンの首都ホニアラがあるガダルカナル島の北に位置する。周囲を深い海に囲まれた天然の良港を持ち、英国の保護領時代には植民地政庁が置かれていたことがある。現在もツラギはセントラル州の州都となっている。

このセントラル州が北京に本社を置く「チャイナ・サム・エンタープライズ・グループ」と戦略的協力合意を締結した。豪紙オーストラリアン・フィナンシャル・レビューはチャイナ・サム社がツラギ島を最長で75年間賃借しようと試みているとし、「太平洋地域に中国が軍事基地を建設する道を開くとの懸念が出ている」と報じた。

チャイナ・サム社のホームページ（HP）によると、同社は化学や投資、貿易などを手掛ける複合企業だ。同社は英語版のHP上に17日付で「ソロモン諸島政府との間で戦略的協力合意に署名した」との文書を発表した。ツラギ島の賃借契約への言及はないが「投資、貿易、インフラ、農漁業、通信、旅行などの分野で協力する」と記している。

こうした報道を受け、豪州側は警戒感を強めている。外務貿易省の報道担当者は18日、日本経済新聞に対し「ソロモン諸島への投資の受け入れは、ソロモン政府が決定することだ」と指摘した。

そのうえで「太平洋（の島しょ国）に投資するあらゆる団体は透明性を保ち、国際基準を満たし、住民が必要なものを提供すべきだ」と名指しを避けながら中国をけん制した。「太平洋島しょ国において、あらゆる外国による軍事施設の建設は重大な懸念事項だ」とも述べた。

こうした豪州の警戒の背景には、南太平洋でインフラ投資を通じて影響力を強める中国への危機感がある。バヌアツでは中国が大規模な港を建設しており、2018年には中国が軍事施設建設を検討していると報じられた。ソロモンに関しては台湾との断交に前後して、台湾当局が「中国が軍事基地の建設を目指している」と指摘していた。

ソロモン、バヌアツはいずれも、米国と豪州を結ぶシーレーン（海上交通路）上に位置する。こうした島しょ国に中国が影響力を及ぼして軍事利用も可能な港や空港を建設すれば、米軍や豪軍の活動が中国に把握されかねない。

オーストラリア戦略政策研究所のピーター・ジェニングス所長は「今回の（賃借契約に向けた）動きを純粋に商業的な開発と見なすのは間違いだ」と述べ、「（中国による）軍事的な関与につながる可能性がある」と強調する。

地域に影響力を拡大する中国に対して、米国と豪州、日本は「自由で開かれたインド太平洋」構想を掲げて対抗、南太平洋の国々への関与と支援を増やしている。しかし、ソロモンに続きキリバスも9月に台湾と断交し、南太平洋地域で台湾と外交関係を持つのはツバルとパラオ、マーシャル諸島、ナウルの4カ国に減った。

いずれの国も人口が少なく、経済規模は小さい。ツバルやマーシャルは地球温暖化による海面上昇で国土が浸食されるリスクも抱える。中国がこうした国々に貿易拡大や護岸整備なども含めたインフラ支援をちらつかせて台湾断交への圧力を強めるのは必至だ。

「中国は（人工島の造成などで）南シナ海を実効支配した。次は東南アジアや太平洋島しょ国に影響力を拡大し、こうした国々を米国から引き離そうとするだろう」。ジェニングス氏はこう語る。ソロモン諸島の人口2千人に満たないツラギ島への中国企業の進出は、こうした中国の覇権拡大を象徴している。

Translation

 [Sydney = Matsumoto Fumi] It had become clear that Chinese companies were negotiating with the local government on long-term leases on Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands, an island country in the South Pacific. Several media, including Australia, reported on the 18th. Solomon had just cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan and established a relationship with China in September. This movement of Chinese companies in Solomon, a place in a geopolitical strategic position, was likely to provoke strong alerts not only in Australia, but also in the United States that was fighting for hegemony with China and the South Pacific,.

Tulagi Island had an area of ​​about 2 square kilometers and was located north of Guadalcanal Island where Solomon's capital Honiara was seated. It had a natural good port surrounded by the deep sea, and there was a colonial government office in the British protection era. Tulagi was still the capital of Central State.

Central State had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the “China Sam Enterprise Group” headquartered in Beijing. It was reported that an Australian newspaper - Australian Financial Review that China Sam had tried to rent Tulagi Island for up to 75 years, "There are concerns that China will open the way to build military bases in the Pacific."

According to China Sam's website (HP), the company was a conglomerate that handled chemistry, investment and trade. The company released a document on the English version of HP on August 17 stating that it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Solomon Islands government. Although there was no mention of Tulagi Island's lease contracts, it said, “It will cooperate in fields such as investment, trade, infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries, communications, and travel.”

In response to such reports, the Australian side had become more alert. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade pointed out to Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 18th that "the acceptance of investment in the Solomon Islands is to be decided by the Solomon government."

In addition, “any organization that invests in the Pacific Ocean should maintain transparency, meet international standards, and provide what the people need.” “In the Pacific island countries, the construction of military facilities by any foreign country is a serious concern,” he said.

The background for Australian warnings was a sense of crisis - China was becoming more influential through infrastructure investment in the South Pacific. In Vanuatu, China was building a large-scale port, and in 2018, it was reported that China was considering building a military facility. As for Solomon, before and after the disconnection with Taiwan, Taiwan authorities had pointed out that "China is aiming to build a military base".

Solomon and Vanuatu were both located on the sea lane (marine traffic route) connecting the United States and Australia. If China could influence these island countries and build ports and airports that could be used for military purposes, then the activities of the US and Australian troops may be known by China.

“It is wrong to see this move as a pure commercial development,” said Peter Jennings, director of the Australian Institute for Strategic Policy. “It leads to military involvement (by China). It is possible.”

Confronting China which was expanding its influence in the region, the United States, Australia, and Japan were upholding a “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept, and were increasing their involvement and support in South Pacific countries. However, Kiribati also broke up with Taiwan in September following Solomon, and the diplomatic relations with Taiwan in the South Pacific were reduced to Tuvalu, Palau, Marshall Islands and Nauru.

All these countries had a small population and a small economy. Tuvalu and Marshall had the risk of land erosion due to rising sea levels because of global warming. It was inevitable that China intensified pressure to break Taiwan's diplomatic relations by flickering infrastructure support including expansion of trade and revetment.

Jennings said that “China has dominated the South China Sea effectively (by creating artificial islands, etc.). Next, it will expand its influence to Southeast Asia and the Pacific island countries and try to separate these countries from the United States.” The expansion of Chinese companies to Tulagi Island, which had a population of less than 2,000 in the Solomon Islands, symbolized the expansion of Chinese hegemony.

              I am just wondering why China has so much money to do overseas investment. I think it is time for the American to respond to this advance by China into the Pacific island countries.