About Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly was until recently a Policy Fellow at the Australian Centre on China in the World. He was a senior diplomat with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, serving inter alia for three postings in greater China (Taipei, Beijing, and as Consul-General for Southern China based in Guangzhou) and in a range of key policy positions, including Director, Defence, and Strategic Policy.

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The China-Solomon Islands Security Agreement: Clear and Present Danger

Posted on 6 June 2022 by Sean Kelly

Revelations during the Australian federal election that the Solomon Islands Government was in the process of concluding a secret security agreement with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) sounded alarm bells in security circles. It generated dire predictions of a future Chinese naval base and permanent deployment of Chinese troops in the Solomons, seriously affecting … more