by Yi Xin
Jeremiah Manele was elected the Solomon Islands' new prime minister in early May. During his first interview with international media after the election, he elaborated on his vision for the future ties between his country, a picturesque island country in the South Pacific, and China, a country with a long history sitting at the east end of the Eurasian continent.
Manele noted, the Solomon Islands government's decision to switch diplomatic relations from Taiwan to the Chinese mainland in 2019 "brings the Solomon Islands to the right side of history. It was a sovereign decision, and if I may say, perhaps the most important decision we have made since independence ... I expect the relationship between the two countries to grow and be a model for South-South cooperation."
In fact, the more the two nations interact with each other, the more they find in common: contributions to the war against Fascism during World War II, a tough struggle against colonial powers for national independence and self-determination, and a long-held aspiration for greater development and better lives for their peoples. All these lay the foundation for increasingly vibrant bilateral relations.
In fact, since the establishment of bilateral ties, the relationship between the two countries has stayed at the forefront of the ties between China and Pacific Island countries, setting a fine example of solidarity and development cooperation between developing countries of different sizes.
Western countries see the Pacific Island countries as their "sphere of interest," but have failed to give real support and assistance for their development. The Solomon Islands decided to switch diplomatic ties largely because China respects the will and choices of the country and shares with it the development opportunities of Chinese modernization.
In 2023, when meeting with the Solomon Islands' leader, Chinese President Xi Jinping elaborated on China's "four full respects" policy; it has since served as the guiding principle for China's relations with Pacific island countries.
Both China and the Solomon Islands believe that good faith makes for fruitful cooperation.
In 2019, the Solomon Islands became an approved destination for Chinese tourist groups, attracting more and more Chinese travelers to the resource-rich archipelago. In the same year, the Solomon Islands joined the Belt and Road Initiative, and intensive infrastructure cooperation has since unfolded at a fast pace.
The Auki Road project, for instance, is seen as a significant step to enhance transportation and connectivity in the Solomon Islands, and the National Broadband Infrastructure Project, which aims to improve telecommunications and Internet services in the country, will make it much easier for people to connect with each other.
For the 2023 Pacific Games, the first major international sporting event hosted by the Solomon Islands, China contributed over 80 to 90 percent of the facilities, including the main stadium.
On issues of major concern to China, the Solomon Islands stands firm with China. It remains committed to the one-China principle, and firmly opposes "Taiwan independence" of any form. It supports China's position on issues related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Xizang Autonomous Region. It opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs in the name of democracy and human rights.
For China's part, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it sent timely medical supplies and vaccines to the Solomon Islands.
China and the Solomon Islands have also engaged in various forms of South-South cooperation to build stronger climate resilience.
When completed and connected to the grid, the China-contracted Tina River hydropower project, the first of its kind and scale in the Solomon Islands, will help meet the electricity needs of about 100,000 islanders and help the Solomon Islands wean itself off its reliance on imported diesel.
In an interview, Manele said, "My hope is for the Solomon Islands to develop into the country that is foreshadowed in our national anthem and that is a country where we experience joy, peace, progress and prosperity." He went on to express readiness to work with China to strengthen investment in economic infrastructure and social and security infrastructure to serve the people better.
China always answers the call of its sincere friends. President Xi noted during his meeting with friends from Pacific Island countries that "There's no 'first-come-first-served' in friendship. Once the journey of friendship begins, it will lead to a promising future. Cooperation may be carried out at different scales. There will be fruitful results as long as it is with good faith."
Close and sincere exchanges and cooperation have been launched. Let us hope Prime Minister Manele's dream will come true soon.
Editor's note: Yi Xin is a Beijing-based observer of international affairs.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Xinhua News Agency. ■
