By severing its ties with the Taiwan region and establishing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 2019, the Solomon Islands has entered a new phase of rapid development and found a reliable partner to embark on a path of modernization and stability.
In this edition of Leaders Talk, CMG anchor Zou Yun caught up with Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare as he looks to China to cater to his country’s development needs.
He reaffirms his country’s pledge to the one-China principle and calls on all countries to adhere to that principle.
On this first visit since striking a security deal with China, he berates critics hyping China’s so-called “growing influence” in the region and points at double standards when it comes to security arrangements with other countries.
He notes that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will provide his country with crucial infrastructure as climate change and pollution pose a threat to this South Pacific island nation’s very existence.
Sogavare also commends Chinese President Xi Jinping’s global initiatives, deemed timely and “admirable,” praising the achievements of the Chinese government in alleviating poverty.
INTERNATIONALIST 360° 