Solomon Islands prepares for election in shadow of China’s influence
- The archipelago, one of the world’s least-developed countries, is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting a rising China against Western rivals
- In 2022, the Solomon Islands signed a surprise security pact with Beijing, catching traditional partners Australia and the United States off guard
Solomon Islanders will head to the polls on Wednesday, voting in an election that promises to bolster or blunt China’s regional ambitions, with security consequences that will ripple far beyond the Pacific nation’s palm-fringed shores.
The archipelago, one of the world’s least-developed countries, is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting a rising China against Western rivals.
Solomon Islands has veered into China’s orbit under Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who signed a secret security pact with Beijing in 2022.
Sogavare has vowed to deepen these bonds if re-elected.
His challengers, meanwhile, are deeply sceptical of Beijing’s influence in the archipelago, known as the Pacific’s “Hapi Isles”.
“Everyone knows this election is going to be very closely watched by the United States, by China, and by other Pacific island countries,” said Solomon Islands expert Anouk Ride from Australian National University.
