Why the Solomon Islands election matters to China and the U.S.
Washington PostAPR 2024
Solomon Islands Elects Pro-China Prime Minister
Image copyright: Hagen Hopkins/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
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.