Pictured is Manele
The Solomon Islands has elected a new prime minister, and although Sogavare, who is friendly to China, was forced to withdraw from the election, the Solomon Islands will no longer take the "road back."
The dust has finally settled on the Solomon Islands' general elections, and on 2 May, the country's parliament elected Foreign Minister Manele as prime minister of the new government. Our Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Manuel Sogavare, was the party that won the most seats in the election, but it failed to win more than half of the seats. Sogavare then announced that he would not be re-elected in favor of Foreign Minister Manele as prime minister.
The current Prime Minister Sogavare is perceived by the West as "pro-China", while some opposition politicians in the country have a pro-Western position. During the election campaign, some opposition leaders even claimed that if they were elected, they would not only end security cooperation with China, but also restore relations with the Taiwan authorities. Therefore, who will be the prime minister has a direct bearing on the direction of Solomon Islands' foreign policy.
Pictured is the current Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manuel Sogavare
Behind Sogavare's abandonment of the prime minister's candidacy, there is obviously interference and opposition from Western countries. Sogavare himself revealed that his government is feeling pressure from the United States and its Western allies, especially after the "important decisions of 2019", and geopolitics has been playing a role. The so-called "important decision" refers to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Solomon Islands and China.
Strategically located, the Solomon Islands are located in the South Pacific Ocean and are a transit point for maritime freight. Flights from Australia and New Zealand to Asia also pass over the Solomon Islands. As a result, some Australian strategists regard the Solomon Islands as their "security barrier" and the fulcrum of Australia's influence over the South Pacific.
Pictured is the Solomon Islands
On the other hand, the Solomon Islands has not had its own army since its independence due to its poor economic foundation. Australia has always provided security for it. In 1998, fierce ethnic clashes erupted in the Solomon Islands, and rebels were extremely active. In 2003, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Australia took the lead in forming the Regional Assistance Mission (RAS) to send military and police forces to the country to restore order in the country, an intervention that lasted for 14 years. In 2017, the Solomon Islands signed a new bilateral security treaty with Australia, which allows Australia to send police and defence forces to the country if it needs it.
It is because of this history that the Solomon Islands has a shadow of Australia everywhere. Australia's deep presence in the Solomon Islands also means that China is unlikely to replace Australia. In fact, China has repeatedly clarified that its cooperation with the Solomon Islands is not directed at any third party. The Solomon Islands has taken the initiative to approach China, in fact, it also hopes to increase its own policy options to further ensure its domestic security.
Past experience has shown that Australia's protection does not fully meet the security needs of Solomon Islands. In 2021, riots broke out in the capital of the Solomon Islands against the Chinese, and many clues pointed to the Taiwanese authorities. Against the backdrop of the Solomon Islands' "severance of diplomatic relations" with the Taiwan authorities, radicals in some of the country's "pro-Taiwan" provinces have seized the opportunity to make trouble. This has become the most important factor in promoting Solomon Islands' security cooperation with China.
The picture shows the cooperation and exchange between China and China
The new Prime Minister Manele visited Beijing as foreign minister, personally signed the joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and China, and signed a framework agreement on security cooperation with China in 2022. Therefore, after Manele takes office, the Solomon Islands will not go back. Manele is likely to continue the foreign policy of his predecessor Sogavare and seek to balance diplomacy while cooperating with China, Australia, the United States and other countries.
Finally, on issues such as maintaining order and stability in the Solomon Islands, China and Australia actually have common goals and the possibility of cooperation. The question is whether Australia can move away from the zero-sum mentality and look at China's active role in the Solomon Islands with a more peaceful mindset.