WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – The United States says it will open an ambassador to the Solomon Islands, briefly outlining a plan to expand its influence in the South Pacific nation before China “becomes firmly entrenched.
The idea was expressed in a State Department report to Congress received by the Associated Press. The time came when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Fiji on Saturday during a Pacific trip that began in Australia and ended in Hawaii.
The State Department said Solomon Islanders valued their history with the American people on the battlefields of World War II, but said the US was in danger of losing its special relations as China “strongly sought to include” top politicians and businessmen in the Solomon Islands.
The move comes after riots rocked a nation of 700,000 people in November. The unrest escalated from the peaceful protests and highlighted long-running regional conflicts, economic crises and concerns about the expansion of the country’s ties with China. Riots broke out in buildings and looted shops.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare escaped a vote of no confidence the following month, telling lawmakers in a 90-minute heated speech that he had done nothing wrong and would not bow down to “evil forces” or Taiwanese ambassadors. ”
The US had previously served as ambassador to Solomons for five years before closing it in 1993. Since then, US ambassadors from neighboring Papua New Guinea have been authorized by Solomons, with a U.S. consular agency.
The ambassador’s announcement is in line with Biden’s new Indo-Pacific management plan announced on Friday and emphasizes building partnerships with regional partners as a way to combat China’s growing influence and ambitions.
In a statement to Congress, the State Department said China “used a common practice of extreme promises, expensive infrastructure loans, and potentially dangerous credit levels,” in consultations with political and business leaders from the Solomon Islands.
“The United States is interested in improving our political, economic, and trade relations with the Solomon Islands, the largest Pacific island country without a US Ambassador,” wrote the State Department.
The State Department said it did not expect to build a new embassy immediately but would rent and rent the property at an initial setup cost of $ 12.4 million. The embassy will be in the capital, Honiara, and will start small, with two American staff members and about five local staff members.
The State Department said the Peace Corps was planning to reopen the office in the Solomon Islands and make its volunteers work there, and that a number of US institutions were establishing government positions with positions in Solomons.
“The Department needs to be a part of this US growth, rather than always being a long-distance player,” he wrote.
Blinken arrived in Fiji after visiting the Australian city of Melbourne where he held a meeting with colleagues from Australia, India and Japan. Four nations form the so-called “Quad,” an Indo-Pacific democratic bloc formed to counter the influence of the Chinese region.
In Fiji, Blinken plans to meet with Pacific Island leaders to discuss climate change, the coronavirus epidemic, and disaster relief. It was the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state. in Fiji since 1985