Beijing condemns Solomon Islands violence and attacks on Chinese businesses
- Chinese foreign ministry also voices support for South Pacific nation’s decision to switch diplomatic ties from Taipei
- Public concerns have grown over Beijing’s influence in the Solomons economy, analyst says
The assurances came as protesters in Honiara continued to demand Sogavare’s resignation and the Chinese embassy warned its nationals not to go outside.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that China condemned the violence that had caused severe damage and property losses and Beijing would “safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and institutions”.
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Solomon Islands riot sets Chinatown ablaze in capital Honiara as protests turn violent
Protests in the Solomons, with a population of about 680,000, started on Wednesday as people gathered in Honiara, accusing Sogavare of corruption.
The demonstrations devolved into riots after police fired tear gas, with the parliament building, a police station and shops in Honiara’s Chinatown set ablaze, and looted, according to local media reports.
Many of the protesters came from the country’s most populous island Malaita, a half-hour flight away from the capital, Solomon Times reported.
Malaita’s premier, Daniel Suidani, is a vocal critic of Beijing and opposed changing diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing, a move known locally as the “switch”.
The Chinese embassy said on Wednesday that a handful of shops owned by Chinese nationals were looted and subjected to “serious loss”.
It also warned Chinese nationals to stay alert, not go outside unless necessary, and stop all commercial activities in Honiara’s high-risk areas.
There was no official report on harm to Chinese nationals or property.
Journalist Charles Piringi said the situation in Honiara had eased with arrival on Friday of federal police and troops from Australia and Papa New Guinea.
“There are mixed feelings about their presence but at least they eased the looting and burning,” Piringi said.
One of the few buildings to survive the burning in Chinatown was one that hung at least four Republic of China flags, representing Taiwan, according to Piringi.
Niu Tanqin, a WeChat account run by former Xinhua journalist Liu Hong, said the “devil’s paw” from Taiwan was behind the unrest, pointing to links between Suidani and Taipei.
But Cleo Paskal, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defence of Democracies in Washington, said that since the switch in 2019, there had been public concerns about Beijing’s influence in local politics and the economy.
Paskal said there was also unease over the Chinese Communist Party’s atheist stance, and its treatment of religious communities, with more than 90 per cent of the people in the Solomons identifying as Christians.
She said there were also concerns that money from a Beijing-backed National Development Fund was being used by Sogavare to delay an election for a year.
The Solomon Islands Herald reported in August that Sogavare signed a document saying that 39 of 50 members of parliament who supported him were to receive NDF funds for their constituencies. Paskal said 39 was the threshold needed for changing the constitution so that Sogavare could delay an election due for 2023 until 2024.
The fund was started by Taipei and continued by Beijing, but previously all members of parliament received it, according to Paskal.
Australia rushes troops to Solomons as arson, looting hit Chinatown
The US also waded into the dispute between Malaita and the national government by allocating US$25 million in aid to the province last year.
Paskal said this was probably why Sogavare on Friday blamed “foreign powers” for the unrest.
“In his view, by giving aid to a province he was trying to cut all support off to in order to make them submit, the US was interfering in his plan for how he wanted to control the country,” Paskal said.
Paskal said Australia’s decision to deploy troops to the Solomons was a big mistake, as they would be seen as supporting the incumbent.
“If you were one of the protesters that were there because you’re concerned about your country, and then suddenly fully armed Australian military is walking down your street to protect the status quo, then that is not a good look,” she said.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
