Although Manasseh Sogavare’s time as prime minister of Solomon Islands is finished, his country’s relationship with China may still have some way to run
As Manasseh Sogavare, the most outwardly China-friendly leader of a Pacific island country, conceded his time as prime minister ofAnnouncing his departure in a post-election press conference on Monday, Sogavare lamented that his government had come “under pressure from the United States and western allies” and had been “accused of many things”..
The text of the final agreement is still secret, but the leaked initial version would give China an avenue to “make ship visits to, carry out logistical replenishment in, and have stopover and transition in Solomon Islands”, while Chinese forces could “protect the safety of Chinese personnel and major projects in Solomon Islands”.
The then Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, only inflamed the rift by saying a Chinese military base would be a “red line” and by suggesting that Sogavare’s views were influenced by Beijing. After the Morrison government was defeated by Anthony Albanese’s Australian Labor party, Canberra made determined efforts to mend fences with Sogavare and restore standing with the rest of the Pacific.
Sogavare has been a polarising figure and “a lightning rod for international scrutiny”, explained Mihai Sora, a research fellow at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute and a former Australian diplomat in Solomon Islands.
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