Related Posts

Solomons’ PM Contender Vows to Abolish China Security Pact

A leading contender to become the Solomon Islands' next prime minister has vowed to renounce a security pact with China as the Pacific nation begins counting votes Thursday in a pivotal general election. "If we are in government, we will abolish ...

Solomon Islands Voters Go to Polls With China’s Influence in Focus

Solomon Islanders began voting Wednesday in an election that could reshape regional security, with citizens effectively choosing if their Pacific nation will deepen ties with China. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has pledged to further bolster relations with Beijing if he is ...

Chinatown Fearful Ahead of Solomon Islands’ Crunch Vote

By Steven Trask Merchants in Solomon Islands' gritty Chinatown were preparing Tuesday for the prospect of post-election violence, fearful the district will again be targeted if the Pacific nation re-elects a pro-Beijing leader. Mobs tore ...

Opposition Figurehead Decries China’s ‘Alarming’ Sway in Solomon Islands

China's growing hold over Pacific nation Solomon Islands is "alarming", a powerful opposition figurehead told AFP Monday ahead of elections that could further entrench Beijing's foothold in the region. Solomon Islands has warmly embraced China under mercurial Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, ...

Solomon Islands Readies for Election in Shadow of China’s Influence

By Steven Trask Solomon Islanders will head to the polls this week, voting in an election that promises to bolster or blunt China's regional ambitions, with security consequences that will ripple far beyond the Pacific nation's palm-fringed shores. ...

Solomons Islands PM Vows ‘Look North’ Pro-China Policy if Reelected

Solomon Islands' pro-China leader on Tuesday detailed a reelection campaign based on a "look North" strategy that would deepen security and economic ties with Beijing while retaining "traditional" allies like Australia. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare -- who has accused "agents of ...

Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Illustrate Striking Divide in South Pacific Country Allegiances

Leaders from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are making it clear where their loyalties lie as China and the West jockey for influence in the strategically important South Pacific. Papua New Guinea signed a defense agreement with the U.S. ...

Three Pacific Islands Leaders to Skip Annual Bloc Summit Amid China-U.S. Rivalry

The leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands will not attend this week's annual Pacific Islands Forum, hampering the consensus-based group’s efforts to project unity as China and the United States jockey for influence in the region. The three ...

China-Backed AIIB Admits Three New Members, Announces New Climate Finance Initiative

The Chinese-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank wrapped up its two-day annual meeting in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El Sheikh on Tuesday and announced that three new members, all non-Asian, would be admitted to the bank. With the addition of ...

U.S. Charm Offensive to Pacific Island States Amid China Worries

A summit between the United States and the Pacific Islands Forum that started in Washington on Monday is the newest signal that Washington plans to increase its presence in the region in response to China’s growing influence there. The leaders were ferried ...

WEEK IN REVIEW: Solomon Islands Signs Police Cooperation Agreement With China

The Solomon Islands signed a police cooperation agreement with China, as part of upgrading their ties to a strategic comprehensive partnership. This resulted from a state visit by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to Beijing, and follows alarm in the U.S. and Australia due to a joint security pact ...

The Solomon Islands’ Beijing Embassy Opens Amid Western Concern About Stronger China Ties

The Solomon Islands officially opened its new embassy in Beijing this week, following the upgrading of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. These stronger ties include an agreement on police cooperation. This follows riots in the capital Honiara in 2021, partly ...
Page 3 of 41234