The Solomon Islands switched diplomatic relations in 2019 from Taiwan to Beijing and announced a major security and diplomatic pact with the country last year. Sogavare will formally open Solomon Islands’ embassy in Beijing before returning home on Saturday. “China understands that Pacific Island countries are facing severe challenges from climate change, and is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation,” Xi continued. “The Solomon Islands has a lot to learn from China’s development experience,” Prime Minister Sogavare told the Chinese leaders, adding that he was eager to “further boost relations” between the two nations.Ĭonfirming the nature of the meeting, Li told reporters the two governments had “decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development,” remarking favorably on how quickly and advantageously their relationship had developed.īeijing is looking to expand its Belt and Road Initiative through the Pacific and across Asia and Africa, with a network of ports and other infrastructure, Xi told Sogavare in a later meeting, adding that the country hopes to invest significantly in the Pacific region through existing and startup Chinese companies “without political strings attached.” The Solomon Islands affirmed its support for the One-China policy in the joint statement, which included a less-than-subtle hint to Japan to “prudently handle issues such as the discharge of nuclear contaminated water” from the Fukushima meltdown into the sea, a plan China has long opposed, and criticism aimed at the US and UK for providing Australia with a nuclear submarine. The agreements included a joint statement released on Tuesday (July 11) affirming the two countries’ new “comprehensive strategic partnership,” as well as an agreement to “enhance cooperation on law enforcement and security matters” in which China pledged to continue supporting the Solomon Islands with police training and equipment through 2025.īeijing has previously trained and supplied replica guns and riot-control equipment to the island nation’s police force, including water cannon vehicles. Chinese tourism is also expected to be a growth market. They also possess extensive fishing grounds and can be used as a naval port base in the Pacific. The Solomon Islands have some strategic value as they sit east of Papua New Guinea and north-east from Australia. Manasseh Sogavarem, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister has been visiting Beijing to sign nine bilateral agreements on economic, technical, and policing cooperation with his Chinese counterpart, Premier Li Qiang, as well as President Xi Jinping. Move gives China an additional presence in the Pacific
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