Why the Solomon Islands election matters to China and the U.S.
Washington PostApr 27
Solomon Islands Elects Pro-China Prime Minister
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The Facts
Solomon Islands' newly-elected lawmakers on Thursday selected China-friendly former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as the country's next prime minister in a secret ballot.
He received 31 votes, while the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, won 18 votes from the 50-seat parliament. One member of parliament reportedly couldn't arrive in the capital in time for the ballot.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As the new prime minister is the very person who signed a shocking security deal with China years ago, the PRC will likely maintain its growing influence in the Solomon Islands. However, Manele is thankfully far more conciliatory than Sogavare, so it's unlikely that he will further jeopardize relations with traditional Western allies.
Establishment-critical narrative
While the West — and the opposition — sought to make this election all about geopolitical disputes between global powers, ordinary Solomon Islanders simply don't care whether their country deepens ties with China or with traditional partners such as America and Australia. All they want is for their plight to be addressed and Manele is the person to deliver this.
