Solomon Islands readies for polls in shadow of China’s Pacific influence

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated16/04/2024

Solomon Islanders will head to the polls recently , voting in an election that promises to bolster or blunt China’s regional ambitions.
The archipelago, one of the world’s least-developed countries, is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting China against Western rivals.

Solomon Islands has veered into China’s orbit under Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who inked a security pact with Beijing in 2022,catching traditional partners Australia and the U.S. off guard.
A wave of Chinese aid and investment followed, including tens of millions of dollars for a state-of-the-art medical center and a 10,000-seat athletics stadium.

Solomon Islands is a nation in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, comprising more than 990 islands.
Its capital is Honiara, located on the island of Guadalcanal.
The Solomon Islands comprises six major Island groups- Choiseul, the Shortland Islands, the New Georgia Islands, Santa Isabel, the Russell Islands, the Florida Islands
The former British colony gained independence in 1978, establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan as one of its earliest foreign partners.
It consists of a double chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in Melanesia.
It is an important chain of Islands in the Pacific Ocean. In the Quad meeting held recently, the US has said that it is committed to a “free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient” Indo-Pacific region.