More Top Stories

Local

Bigger and busier 2023: PM

31 December 2022

Other Sports

Double gold for Darts

21 January 2023

Features
Health

Covid-19 cases stable: TMO

10 January 2023

Economy

Population policy endorsed

10 January 2023

Economy
National

PM Brown vows to change law

23 January 2023

National
Features
Rugby league

Moana target 2025 World Cup

11 November 2022

Local

We’re halfway there!

16 November 2022

Paddling

From the river to the ocean

18 November 2022

Top American officials meeting in Honiara to discuss China pact

Friday 22 April 2022 | Written by RNZ | Published in Regional, Solomon Islands

Share

Top American officials meeting in Honiara to discuss China pact
Kurt Campbell Photo: AFP

Top United States officials are meeting with the Solomon Islands government today as Honiara's security pact with China continues to simmer.

The White House officials, who are led by Kurt Campbell, President Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific coordinator, are on a tour of three Pacific Island countries.

The controversial China-Solomon Islands security pact was signed this week with Australia, New Zealand, and the US all raising concerns that it will open doors for Chinese military into the Pacific.

The draft text of the deal, which was leaked online last month, says Chinese warships could stop in Honiara and China could send police and armed forces there "to assist in maintaining social order."

The final text has not been released although there are calls both locally and regionally for it to be made public.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has rejected claims that the deal will be damaging for the region, and that his country is only acting to protect its national interest.

The US embassy in Port Moresby has said the US delegation has discussed the China-Solomon Islands agreement with Fiji and Papua New Guinea over the past two days.

The embassy's statement also said Campbell's delegation will also discuss "plans to open a U.S. embassy in Honiara".