Solomon Islands signs policing pact with China

The Solomon Islands has signed an agreement with China to strengthen cooperation on law enforcement and security matters, a move that might stir concerns among its traditional allies like the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

The New Alliance:
* This agreement followed a Monday meeting in Beijing between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
* While key specifics were not immediately released, the nations aim to enhance their law enforcement ties and build a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”
* China vowed to provide support to the Solomon Islands to strengthen their police law enforcement capacity.

Recent Relations:
* In 2019, the Solomon Islands switched its official recognition from Taiwan to Beijing, making it China’s biggest ally in the South Pacific.
* The Solomon Islands inked a secretive security pact with Beijing in 2022, which Sogavare assured would not lead to Beijing gaining a military foothold in the region.

Support and Donations:
* China has assisted the Solomon Islands by providing police training and donating replica guns and riot-control equipment.
* In light of this strengthened relationship, the U.S. is set to reopen an American Embassy in Honiara, Have the Solomon Islands’ capital.

“Belt and Road” Project:
* The Solomon Islands have secured a $66 million loan from China’s Exim Bank for the erection of 161 mobile towers built and run by Huawei.
* China is also building facilities for the Solomon Islands to host the 2023 Pacific Island Games.

Political Stance:
* In their joint statement, the Solomon Islands expressed its opposition to Taiwanese independence and supported China’s stance on various issues like Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang.
* The Solomon Islands urged other countries to handle issues such as the release of nuclear-contaminated water and nuclear submarine cooperation thoughtfully.

View original article on NPR

This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.

Contact us about this post

Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *