The pro-China Solomon Islands government has reportedly “disqualified” a former provincial leader because of his defiant refusal to recognize Beijing over Taipei.
The sanction against Daniel Suidani — a local assembly member and ex-premier of the largest island, Malaita — comes at a time of growing Chinese influence in the Solomons and the wider Pacific, viewed with concern by the US and its allies in the region.
Suidani — already ousted as provincial premier in a no-confidence vote in February — has consistently refused to toe the line set by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who switched the island nation’s diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 2019.
Photo: AP
A letter informing Suidani last month of his disqualification from the Malaita assembly cited his “ongoing failure to recognize the ‘one China’ policy, which is a key policy of the national government,” said a government statement published by local media on Wednesday.
Suidani’s seat in the Malaita assembly should be declared vacant, it said.
The former Malaita leader plans to challenge the decision in the High Court, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corp reported.
“We are disappointed, because the decision really does not look like a legitimate decision,” Dickson Pola, a supporter of Suidani in the Malaita assembly, told reporters.
Pola said there was overwhelming support among people in Malaita for maintaining ties with Taiwan rather than China.
Under Beijing’s “one China” principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Taipei and Beijing.
Sogavare’s switch paved the way for unlocking huge amounts of Chinese investment, but it was far from unanimously popular, particularly on Malaita, where residents had benefited from Taiwanese aid projects and maintained deep links to Taipei.
The Solomon Islands’ strengthening ties with China have also led to hand-wringing in the US, and among allies including Australia and New Zealand.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS