Solomon Islands’ pro-China leader pledges to continue balancing act with Australia as he seeks re-election

Manasseh Sogavare has alarmed Canberra and the US by signing a security pact with China, but has pledged to adopt a ‘friends to all’ approach to foreign policy

He has said Beijing can help reduce the country’s dependence on foreign powers, but getting too close risks a backlash at home and among neighbouring countries

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Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Manasseh Sogavare to Beijing last year. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:00pm, 13 Feb 2024Updated: 7:07pm, 14 Feb 2024

The Solomon Islands’ ruling party has pledged to strike a “pragmatic” balance between stronger ties with China and its relations with “traditional partners” such as Australia if it wins re-election in April.

The Pacific nation’s Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has taken a pro-Beijing stance since returning to power in 2019 and has accused “agents of Western powers” of trying to bring down his government.

Since then, he has severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan to align with Beijing, and in 2022 he signed a security pact with China that drew concerns from Western countries about Beijing’s growing military footprint in the region.

But diplomatic analysts warned that drawing too close to China could result in a domestic backlash, as well as from other countries in the Pacific and the United States.

On Tuesday, the ruling Ownership, Unity and Responsibility Party said it would seek to benefit from the opportunities offered by China’s Belt and Road Initiative but also Australian infrastructure funding.

“The party will strengthen relationships with China through a ‘look North’ foreign policy, while nurturing ties with other traditional partners such as Australia,” it said.