South China Morning Post
Date: 12 Sep, 2019
By: Reuters
- Pacific island should ‘ask for details about funding … whether these are loans or grants’, American ambassador says in reference to Beijing’s promise of financial aid
- US officials have warned the Solomon Islands to be wary of funding promises from Beijing and not be pressed into cutting ties with
US officials have warned the Solomon Islands to be wary of funding promises from Beijing and not be pressed into cutting ties with Taiwan, in comments highlighting increasing competition for influence in the South Pacific..
The warnings were made this week in the Solomons capital of Honiara, on the island of Guadacanal, after several of the island nation’s senior lawmakers said they wanted to switch their diplomatic links to Beijing from Taipei.
The South Pacific has become a diplomatic stronghold for Taiwan, with six island nation allies, a third of all countries that recognise Taiwan. The links help stem Beijing’s expansionary policies in the region.
The US officials did not explicitly call for the retention of the Taiwan alliance, but they appealed for caution. [FULL STORY]