Caroline Kennedy meets children of Solomon Islanders who saved JFK’s life New US ambassador to Australia was in Honiara to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal The Guardian - AU · Aug 8, 2022
Solomons PM's absence from memorial service was a 'missed opportunity' - U.S. official Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare did not attend a weekend dawn service for a key World War Two battle organised by the United States, with local media reporting it as a "snub". Reuters · Aug 8, 2022
Solomon Islands takes tighter control over state broadcaster The government of the Solomon Islands is tightening its control over the nation’s state-owned broadcaster The Independent UK · Aug 4, 2022
Outrage as Solomon Islands government orders vetting of stories on national broadcaster All stories are to be approved by the government before broadcast on the SIBC, prompting grave concerns about press freedom The Guardian - AU · Aug 3, 2022
Chinese police officers could be embedded in Solomon Islands’ force New security pact will pave way for China to deploy navy at Australia’s doorstep The Independent UK · Aug 2, 2022
Solomon Islands orders national broadcaster SIBC not to report content critical of government In its latest crackdown on press freedoms, the government seizes editorial control of Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, ordering the organisation to censor stories portraying the government in a negative light. ABC News · Aug 2, 2022
Chinese police to give ‘management and leadership’ training to Solomon Islands officers Senior police boss also did not rule out having Chinese police officers embedded within the force, after signing of controversial security deal The Guardian - AU · Aug 2, 2022
Australia urged to intervene as China tries to buy a strategic Solomon Islands port The purchase would give China control of an island in the Solomons with a port that could be used immediately for large vessels, an airstrip, and large areas of land, the Australian government has been warned. ABC News · Jul 31, 2022
Pacific islands leaders commit to regional unity in face of superpower rivalry Pacific island leaders have agreed to take a united approach as the United States and China vie for influence in the region, and to push developed nations for bolder action on climate change, which they say is the biggest threat they face. Reuters · Jul 14, 2022
Solomons leader: Chinese base would make his people targets Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says his new country’s security pact with Beijing would not allow China to build a military base on the South Pacific nation The Independent UK · Jul 14, 2022
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confident there will be no Chinese military base in Solomon Islands Despite both prime ministers coming to an understanding on the controversial issue, Chinese assistance in Solomon Islands hasn't been entirely ruled out. ABC News · Jul 14, 2022
Solomon Islands PM rules out China military base and says Australia is ‘security partner of choice’ Exclusive: In his first interview since the security deal with Beijing, Manasseh Sogavare says he would only call on China if there was a ‘gap’ that Australia could not fill The Guardian - AU · Jul 14, 2022
Australian PM Albanese ‘very confident’ there will be no Chinese bases in Solomon Islands Prime minister Anthony Albanese’s comments come after meeting with Solomons leader at Pacific Islands Forum and despite Pacific nation’s security pact with China The Guardian - AU · Jul 13, 2022
Nation records 78 Covid deaths – as it happened This blog is now closed The Guardian - AU · Jul 13, 2022
ABC News · Jul 13, 2022 Solomon Islands MP Peter Kenilorea Jr wants to rip up the country's security pact with China Solomon Islands government makes it clear it believes its future lies with China. One prominent MP disagrees — and many of the country's youth are behind him.
Radio France Internationale · Jul 13, 2022 US opens new embassies and promises millions to Pacific Islands in move to counter China US Vice President Kamala Harris assured Pacific island leaders of more U.S. engagement after acknowledging Wednesday the United States may not have previously provided the diplomatic attention the region deserved.
The New Daily · Jul 13, 2022 More than meets the eye? The ‘complicated’ Pacific PM who hugged Albanese Before the Australian and Solomon Islands leaders met, Mr Albanese had confidently predicted that the relationship was about to improve.
Reuters · Jul 13, 2022 Solomon Islands PM meets Australian, New Zealand leaders over China pact The Solomon Islands prime minister met counterparts from Australia and New Zealand for the first time since striking a security pact with China that sparked concern among U.S. allies over Beijing's military ambitions in the Pacific islands.
The Guardian - AU · Jul 13, 2022 ‘We are family’: Anthony Albanese meets Solomon Islands PM amid tension over China deal Manasseh Sogavare says relationship with Australia is ‘strong’ despite his recent security pact with Beijing
ABC News · Jul 13, 2022 Anthony Albanese hugs Solomon Islands PM and preaches positivity at Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji The first meeting between the Prime Minister and his Solomon Islands counterpart shows positive signs despite tensions over the China security pact, as Anthony Albanese kicks off his "positive energy" visit to Suva for the Pacific Islands Forum.
AAP · Jul 12, 2022 Albanese vows respect, energy in Pacific Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has landed in Suva, Fiji for the Pacific Island Forum leaders' meeting.
ABC News · Jul 7, 2022 Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare thanks China, refuses to answer questions from Australian press In a speech to mark the Solomon Islands' national independence day, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says China demonstrates a "genuine intention" to be a "worthy partner" in the country's development.
ABC News · Jul 6, 2022 Chinese Communist Party donates police equipment to Solomon Islands Senior Australian officials are expressing their unease about China's growing police cooperation with Solomon Islands, as Australia has always been the major provider of police training in Honiara.
ABC News · Jul 3, 2022 China's influence hard to ignore in Solomon Islands' capital Honiara, as Australia warned it could be 'left behind' Solomon Islands has been shut off from the world for more than two years. It was thrust into the global spotlight during that time when it signed a security pact with China. Now it has opened up again, what do the people of Solomon Islands think?
ABC News · Jul 1, 2022 Solomon Islands ends COVID-19 isolation, reopens to world for first time since China deal announced Solomon Islands becomes latest country to reopen after COVID-19 protocols, ending more than 800 days shut off from the outside world.