China-Solomon Islands security pact not aimed at any third party: spokesperson

Security cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands is open, transparent and inclusive. It does not target any third party, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing that the two countries had formally signed a framework pact on security cooperation.

The cooperation represents normal exchanges between two sovereign and independent states, and constitutes an important part of their comprehensive cooperation, he said.

Cooperation between the two sides is based on the principles of equality and mutual benefits, and on the premise of respecting each other's wishes and actual needs, said the spokesperson.

The two sides will cooperate in safeguarding the social order, protecting the safety of people's lives and properties, providing humanitarian aid and coping with natural disasters, he said.

The purpose of the cooperation is to promote long-term stability in the Solomon Islands, which serves the common interests of the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific region, said Wang.

He added that the pact does not contradict the Solomon Islands' existing bilateral and multilateral security cooperation mechanisms, but complements them.