Prospects are bright, China tells new Pacific partner Solomon Islands
- Manasseh Sogavare says his country recognises the one-China principle and will stand on the ‘right side of history’
- China Railway president tells Sogavare the company will help Honiara build facilities for the Pacific Games to be held in the Solomons in 2023
Meeting Manasseh Sogavare, prime minister of the Solomon Islands, in Beijing on Wednesday, Xi said the ties may be new but “prospects are bright”, according to state news agency Xinhua.
“Although the Solomon Islands and China have just established ties … real friendship is not determined by when it starts,” Xi was quoted as saying.
Xinhua quoted Sogavare as saying that the Solomon Islands recognised the one-China principle – an understanding that Beijing’s sovereignty covers Taiwan – and it had chosen to “stand on the right side of history” in recognising the People’s Republic.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sogavare met Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and signed an agreement to take part in the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s massive infrastructure programme to link economies in a China-centred trading network. The two countries also signed various deals on economic and education cooperation, including making the Solomon Islands an official destination for mainland Chinese tourists, and pledged closer cooperation on climate change – a major concern for the island nation.