Australia Defends Handling of China-Solomons Deal; Makes Tax Pledge Ahead of Poll

Minggu, 24 April 2022 | 16:05 WIB
Australia Defends Handling of China-Solomons Deal; Makes Tax Pledge Ahead of Poll
[ILUSTRASI. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrives at Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan, November 17, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato ]
Reporter: Sumber: Reuters | Editor: Thomas Hadiwinata

KONTAN.CO.ID - SYDNEY, April 24 (Reuters) - Australia's government on Sunday defended its response to China's courtship of nearby Solomon Islands which culminated in a security pact, ahead of a general election next month where it had hoped to highlight its national security credentials.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton in a television interview attributed China's success to an uneven playing field involving tactics with which no Australian government could compete.

The pact, announced earlier this month, is seen as a major inroad for China in the resource-rich Pacific, where the United States has long been the dominant influence along with allies Australia and New Zealand.

China has said the pact will help the Solomon Islands maintain social order and cope with natural disasters and humanitarian relief. It said it poses no risk to the U.S., while the Solomon Islands said it will not undermine regional peace. Read full story

Still, the U.S. has said it would respond accordingly to any Chinese military presence in the region, while critics of Prime Minister Scott Morrison have called the pact Australia's biggest diplomatic failure in the Pacific since World War Two. Read full story

Baca Juga: Oil Falls, Post Nearly 5% Weekly Loss on Growth Concern

Dutton, in an interview with Sky News, said the pact follows a pattern of China's engagement around the world.

"If you look at what's happened in Africa, there are corrupt payments being made - we could never compete with that sort of playbook," Dutton said, without providing evidence.

He said he could not comment on whether corrupt payments had been made in the Solomons case.

"China's incredibly aggressive - the acts of foreign interference, the preparedness to pay bribes to get outcomes, and to beat other countries to deals - that's the reality of the modern China."

Speaking to journalists later in the day, Morrison said China building a military base on the Solomon Islands would be a "red line" for Australia.

Baca Juga: Frustration Grows, Nerves Fray in Shanghai's Lockdown Purgatory

"Working together with our partners in New Zealand and of course the United States, I share the same red line that the United States has when it comes to these issues," ABC News quoted the prime minister as saying.

"We won't be having Chinese military naval bases in our region on our doorstep."

The embassies of China and the Solomon Islands in Canberra did not respond to requests for comment outside business hours.

Morrison looked to deflect criticism by shifting the debate to his economic policy, promising to not introduce any taxes if re-elected, and to cap government tax revenue at 23.9% of gross domestic product.

The policy also involves giving workers A$100 billion ($72.4 billion) in tax relief over the next four years.

Australians head to the polls on May 21.

Bagikan

Berita Terbaru

Mencari Investasi ESG Menarik saat Pasar Lesu
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 13:37 WIB

Mencari Investasi ESG Menarik saat Pasar Lesu

Indikator instrumen investasi bertema ESG masih merah. Dari saham, reksadana, dan obligasi, apa pilihan menarik bagi investor saat ini?

KPK Sidik Kasus Dugaan Korupsi Pengadaan EDC di BRI (BBRI), ini Profil Mitra BRI
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 11:26 WIB

KPK Sidik Kasus Dugaan Korupsi Pengadaan EDC di BRI (BBRI), ini Profil Mitra BRI

Juru Bicara KPK Budi Prasetyo saat dikonfirmasi KONTAN mengenai keberadaan PCS mengatakan, pihaknya masih menyidik kasus tersebut.

Profit 26,3% Setahun, Harga Emas Antam Hari Ini Susut (30 Juni 2025)
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 09:02 WIB

Profit 26,3% Setahun, Harga Emas Antam Hari Ini Susut (30 Juni 2025)

Harga emas Antam hari ini (30 Juni 2025) Rp 1.880.000 per gram. Di atas kertas pembeli setahun lalu bisa untung 26,3% jika menjual hari ini.

Neraca Perdagangan Berpotensi Kembali Mencetak Surplus Besar
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 07:51 WIB

Neraca Perdagangan Berpotensi Kembali Mencetak Surplus Besar

Kinerja ekspor pada bulan Mei diperkirakan meningkat akibat normalisasi setelah liburhari raya pada April lalu

Tantangan Berat Para Pengelola Dana Investasi
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 07:51 WIB

Tantangan Berat Para Pengelola Dana Investasi

Hanya MI dengan permodalan kuat yang mampu mendanai pengembangan ini, memperkuat prinsip Pareto (20/80) dan survival of the fittest.

Harga Pangan Bisa Picu Inflasi Juni
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 07:40 WIB

Harga Pangan Bisa Picu Inflasi Juni

Inflasi kelompok harga bergejolak diperkirakan meningkat, terutama disebabkan oleh naiknya harga beberapa komoditas pangan

Sisa Anggaran Pemerintah Cetak Rekor Tertinggi
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 07:32 WIB

Sisa Anggaran Pemerintah Cetak Rekor Tertinggi

Sisa lebih pembiayaan anggaran (SiLPA) dalam anggaran pendapatan dan belanja negara (APBN) per akhir Mei 2025 melampaui Rp 300 triliun

Mengawal Harga Beras
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 07:05 WIB

Mengawal Harga Beras

Pemerintah perlu mengawal harga beras yang masih di atas harga eceran tertinggi (HET) agar tidak menimbulkan gejolak di publik.

Terjebak Dalam Demokrasi Konsumtif
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 07:00 WIB

Terjebak Dalam Demokrasi Konsumtif

Relasi negara dengan masyarakatnya adalah sebuah modal yang penting untuk membangun demokrasi berkualitas.​

Pelonggaran Moneter AS Bisa Kembali Mengangkat Bitcoin
| Senin, 30 Juni 2025 | 06:45 WIB

Pelonggaran Moneter AS Bisa Kembali Mengangkat Bitcoin

Berdasarkan data Coinmarketcap, BTC naik 6,16% dalam sepekan terakhir ke level US$ 108.158 pada Minggu (29/6).

INDEKS BERITA

Terpopuler