U.S. concerns about Chinese influence in the Solomon Islands have crossed a notable rhetorical red line: it is now a talking point on Fox News. This turns it from an obscure geopolitical spat to a topic in the mainstream Republican-Democrat culture war. Fox hosted the Republican insider Newt Gingrich to react to the saga of the Solomon Islands’ closer alignment with China, which he blamed on the Biden administration.
The coverage was triggered by the Solomons’ refusal to let a U.S. Coast Guard vessel enter its port for a scheduled refueling visit while on patrol against illegal fishing. China’s Global Times said Fox New’s blaming of the refusal on Chinese influence is ‘far-fetched.’