THE Prime Minister of Solomon Islands thanked Canberra for its contribution to the country but maintained the Pacific Nation won’t choose sides amid geopolitical flexing between China, the United States, and Australia.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare used his Annual Independence Day speech last year to thank China, but for this year’s address, he thanked Canberra, but not Beijing, as both countries vie for influence in the region.
In his 35-minute speech, Sogavare thanked Australia for its contribution but warned his country will continue to avoid “choosing sides” amid the geopolitical tug-of-war that has gripped the Pacific Region.
With Solomon Islands’ geopolitical flexing between China, the United States, and Australia, the prime minister reiterated the country’s stance of being “friends to all and enemies to none”.
The small Pacific Nation of roughly more than 732,000 people made headlines after signing a controversial security pact with China that earned criticisms from the West.
China has spent more than $100 million on infrastructure developments in the Solomon Islands and its contribution has been recognized by the Island Nation.
For this year, Sogavare did not mention China and instead thanked Australia for leading the $2.8 billion Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) which left the country in 2017 except for a small number of Australian troops left on the island.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Richard Marles has confirmed Australia’s plan to maintain a security presence in the Solomon Islands beyond 2023 and unveiled a $25 million worth of assistance package for next year’s elections.
The prime minister is scheduled to fly to China on Saturday for a week-long tour of the country and meetings with senior Chinese officials.
