China-friendly Solomon Islands suspends all foreign naval visits as tensions rise
- US embassy in Australia said Washington had been notified of a ‘moratorium on all naval visits’ following last week’s incident
- Relations with the US have deteriorated since the Solomon Islands signed a contentious security pact with the Chinese government earlier this year
Solomon Islands has suspended visits from all foreign navies, citing a need to review approval processes, the country’s leader said on Tuesday, after a US coastguard was unable to refuel at its port.
The decision comes amid concerns over the Solomons’ growing ties with China in recent years, switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2019 and signing a security pact with the Asian power in April.
Western governments are wary that the islands could provide China with a military foothold in a strategically important part of the world.
In a speech on Tuesday welcoming a US hospital ship to the capital Honiara, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said he was reviewing the process for allowing foreign military vessels to dock in the country.
“We have requested our partners to give us time to review and put in place our new processes before sending further requests for military vessels to enter the country,” Sogavare said.
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He also denied reports that a US coastguard ship and a British navy vessel were not allowed to dock in the country, saying delays in processing their approvals meant both were turned away.