Months after the Solomon Islands struck a security pact with China, its leader has repeatedly appeared to snub the US, heightening Washington’s concern, but not deterring it from trying to keep the Pacific nation out of Beijing’s orbit.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s unpredictable diplomacy might make it hard for the US to make up lost ground with the pivotal island nation as China seeks to expand its security presence, former diplomats and other analysts say.
As part of a push to boost engagement and counter China’s growing influence, the administration of US President Joe Biden plans to open an embassy for the first time in three decades in the Solomon Islands, an archipelago that switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019 and in April sealed the security agreement with China.
Photo: Reuters
Washington has since faced a series of rebuffs from Sogavare, who continues to keep dialogue open on US aid.
Last month, he skipped a planned appearance with a senior US official at a World War II commemoration. His government did not respond to a US Coast Guard vessel’s request to refuel, a move Washington called “regrettable.” Sogavare then announced he was barring all foreign navy ships from port — while he was welcoming a US Navy hospital ship on a humanitarian mission.
China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper said in an editorial that the prime minister was “counteracting” against Washington.
The US Department of State declined to comment.
A spokesperson for US Senator Marsha Blackburn, who last week visited Sogavare, said it was “extremely concerning that Solomon Islands are blocking military vessels from their waters.”
Sogavare has a history of erratic behavior, which contributed to him previously losing office as prime minister, Australian National University professor Graeme Smith said.
Michael Green, a former senior US national security official, said the halt to navy visits is a “net loss” for the US, which had access before the deal with China, but it does not mean “the game is over.”
“We also don’t know whether Prime Minister Sogavare is paralyzed with indecision given the tough geopolitics — or in the pocket of Beijing — or both,” Green said. “Either way, the US and Australia have to keep at engagement and prove we are trusted partners.”
Sogavare’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sogavare is pushing back against pro-democracy messaging from Washington to avoid being a pawn in a superpower contest, said Mihai Sora, an Australian former diplomat in the Solomon Islands. “Particularly to Sogavare, it is antagonizing.”
His abrupt absence from the 80th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Guadalcanal played into China’s goals of keeping US influence at bay, said Sora, a research fellow at Australia’s Lowy Institute think tank.
“Of all the Pacific islands leaders, Sogavare is the one that is most accommodating to China’s strategic intent,” he said.
Washington had little engagement with the Solomon Islands before Honiara sealed the pact with China and has a lot of diplomatic ground to make up, Sora said.
Catherine Egbert-Gray, who frequently met Sogavare when she was US ambassador to the Solomon Islands, said China’s assertive diplomacy only reinforces the US decision to increase development assistance and reopen its embassy in Honiara.
Around the time Sogavare recognized Beijing, “he appeared confident he could maintain good and strong relations with all diplomatic partners,” she said. “I hope he remains committed to this goal and does not allow unsavory influences to break down long-held friendships to the long-term detriment of the nation.”
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