China's security pact with the Solomon Islands does not pose a threat to other parties and works in the interests of the South Pacific region, Chinese Foreign Ministry (MOFA) spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing on Wednesday in Beijing.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Solomon Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele recently signed a China-Solomon Islands intergovernmental framework agreement on security cooperation, MOFA announced on Tuesday.

Later on the same day, the White House claimed that the U.S. and its allies are concerned that the pact may pose a risk to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Wang responded that based on transparency, openness and mutual trust, the security cooperation between China and the Solomon Islands is in line with normal exchanges and cooperation between two sovereign and independent countries.

Noting that the pact does not target any third party and will not replace existing security cooperation mechanisms, Wang reiterated that the two countries will cooperate in multiple fields, such as humanitarian assistance and natural disaster response.

"I don't understand why such a pact poses a serious risk to the U.S. side," he said.

"According to the logic of the U.S., Pacific island countries should only conduct security cooperation with the U.S. side or its allies? If not, it is a threat. Does the U.S. regard island countries as independent sovereign states or as its own appendages?" Wang asked. 

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