South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal has said the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is steadily moving all his chips into place before a sudden move to solidify his hold on power with the backing of Beijing. Her comments come in response to the recent decision by the Solomons to allow U.S. Navy hospital ship,…

South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal has said the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is steadily moving all his chips into place before a sudden move to solidify his hold on power with the backing of Beijing. Her comments come in response to the recent decision by the Solomons to allow U.S. Navy hospital ship,…

The Solomon Islands has received the U.S. Navy hospital ship, the Mercy, during its inaugural visit to the island despite earlier rejecting a scheduled port call from U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry. On Aug. 31, the Solomons government released a statement saying Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare spoke at the welcoming ceremony for the…

The Solomon Islands has received the U.S. Navy hospital ship, the Mercy, during its inaugural visit to the island despite earlier rejecting a scheduled port call from U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry. On Aug. 31, the Solomons government released a statement saying Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare spoke at the welcoming ceremony for the…

Defence Minister Richard Marles could not confirm whether a recent ban on U.S. naval ship visits to the Solomon Islands extended to Australian vessels. On Aug. 29, the U.S. Embassy in Canberra revealed the Solomon Islands had notified the U.S. authorities of a “moratorium” on all naval visits pending updates to its “protocol procedures.” “We…

The Solomon Islands has informed U.S. authorities that all naval visits have been suspended until further notice following an earlier incident on Aug. 23 when a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, was denied permission for a scheduled port call. The incident comes amid mounting concerns about Beijing’s influence in the region and Solomons…

U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, was greeted with silence when it requested permission for a scheduled port call in the Solomon Islands, forcing the crew to Papua New Guinea instead. The incident comes amid mounting concerns about the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the region and the ongoing weakening of democratic…

The Solomon Islands government has agreed to a 448.9 million yuan (US$66.15 million) loan from the Chinese state-owned Export-Import Bank of China to fund the construction of 161 towers by controversial telecommunications giant Huawei. In response, defence expert Michael Shoebridge has warned that Beijing is “moving fast and in a broad way” in the South…

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has assured Australian Pacific Minister Pat Conroy that his attempt to delay the country’s next election will be a “one-off.” The move comes after experts warned that Sogavare—who has cultivated deep ties with Beijing—could be emboldened to tighten control over the Pacific nation, a key goal of the Chinese…

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has moved to delay elections citing the build-up to the Pacific Games in November 2023 as a reason. The move comes after South Pacific expert Cleo Paskal warned in March that Sogavare—who has cultivated deep ties with Beijing—could be emboldened to tighten control over the Pacific nation, a key…