China denies it plans to open a military base in the Solomon Islands: “It’s fake news”

MADRID, 28 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Chinese government has stated that the information about its alleged plans to build a naval base in the Solomon Islands “is pure false news”, despite the suspicions generated by the recent security agreement.

A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Tan Kefei, has argued before journalists that the pact is limited to opening the door to collaboration on issues such as maintaining social order, disaster response or humanitarian aid, all in ” mutual benefit”.

“We urge to stop talking about the theory of the Chinese military threat and do more practical things that allow us to move towards peace, stability and prosperity in the South Pacific region,” Tan said, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned this week that the hypothetical opening of a Chinese base in the Solomon Islands would be a “red line”. The governments of the United States and Japan have also expressed concern about the deal and its possible spin-offs.