The Domestic Politics of Sogavare’s China-Solomons Tryst
The DiplomatTwo seemingly disconnected Solomon Islands narratives have been unfolding over the past weeks. Many now fear that Sogavare has created circumstances that will trigger the enactment of the security treaty that he signed with China in April, which, according to a leaked draft, allows for China “to send police, armed police, and armed forces to the Solomon Islands to assist in maintaining social order.” World War II Remembrances Sogavare’s geopolitical brinkmanship happened even as former combatants remembered the Battle of Guadalcanal. China’s Impact on the Solomons’ Domestic Politics The extent of China’s inroads into Solomon Islands was laid out in the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s 4 Corners report that aired on August 1. Instead of serving the needs of Solomon Islands, the project serves China’s expansionist purposes and hands it control of the nation’s communications systems. One month after that, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi made Honiara the first stop on his barnstorming Pacific islands tour in late May, where he hoped nine other Pacific nations would follow the Solomon Islands and make decisive moves into China’s sphere of influence by signing onto a deal to become “China-Pacific Island Countries.” Now, with Sogavare blocking most foreign naval vessels from his nation’s ports and maneuvering to alter the constitution to suspend the national election due at the time the Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Games in 2023, his strategy has entered a new phase.