China, US rivalry in Pacific may heat up as Solomon Islands looks to switch ties from Taipei to Beijing

Task force is reportedly evaluating diplomatic relations with self-ruled island, while a delegation went to Beijing to discuss potentially switching allegiance

Growing Chinese influence in region has raised concern among US and allies

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Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen inspect an honour guard in Taipei in 2017. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00am, 3 Sep 2019Updated: 10:18am, 4 Sep 2019

Rivalry between China and the United States in the South Pacific is expected to intensify, with the Solomon Islands reportedly in talks with Beijing about potentially switching diplomatic ties from Taipei after 36 years.

A task force charged with evaluating the country’s Taiwan ties returned from a tour of Pacific nations allied to Beijing just before a mid-August visit to the Chinese capital by eight Solomon Islands ministers and the prime minister’s private secretary, Reuters reported on Monday.

The Solomon Islands is one of only 17 countries that recognise Taiwan, six of which are in the Pacific. Beijing – which sees Taiwan as a renegade province with no right to state-to-state ties – has sought to squeeze the self-ruled island diplomatically by trying to persuade its remaining allies to switch recognition since independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen took office in 2016.

According to parliament schedules, the task force – set up by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare after he was re-elected in April – will present its recommendations as early as this week, the report said.

“There’s a certain thinking with the current government and executive to switch,” Peter Kenilorea, an opposition lawmaker who chairs a foreign relations parliamentary committee, was quoted as saying.

“The amount of money that has already been spent by the government on this is quite telling.”