U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia, W Patrick Murphy, has warned Solomon Islands – and in particular the Sogavare led DCGA Governemnt – to maintain the status quo with Taipei. The U.S. official says that countries – like Solomon Islands – should make their own independent choice of who they enter into diplomatic relations with, and that they should make that choice on the basis of domestic ingredients, not foreign influence. The U.S. official said the U.S. was very keen to help countries – like Solomon Islands – protect their sovereignty and their independence, and that Solomon Islands should depend on the U.S. for their development, infrastructure, and nation building needs. (Source: Reuters, 24 May 2019)

The statements from the U.S. official suggest that it would not be in the interest of the U.S. for Solomon Islands to establish diplomatic ties with China. The U.S. official’s statements suggest the U.S. will make full use of its diplomatic arsenal – including its chequebook to fund infrastructure developments – to ensure Solomon Islands’ decision on the China situation aligns with U.S. interests. It will be interesting to see how the DCGA Government reacts to the U.S. official’s suggestion.

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