Taiwan’s ties to Pacific allies at stake in Solomon Islands election
- President Tsai Ing-wen touring the region to deepen relations as elections approach in four of the six Pacific island nations aligned with Taipei
- Several Solomons politicians question the benefits of retaining ties
As politicians hit the hustings across the Solomon Islands two weeks out from a general election in the South Pacific archipelago, the loyalty of one of Taiwan’s few remaining allies is in the balance.
Some Solomons candidates are promising to review lucrative but loosening ties with Taipei that, if broken, could trigger a reshaping of diplomatic relations in a region home to a third of Taiwan’s shrinking list of allies.
Although Pacific island states offer little economically to either China and Taiwan, their support is valued in global forums such as the United Nations and as China seeks to isolate Taiwan. China sees the democratically ruled island as a renegade province with no right to state-to-state ties.
In the Solomons, where two-thirds of exports go to China, many politicians are questioning whether diplomatic ties with Taiwan are still in their best interests.
“Sooner or later, when we see our country hasn’t been able to grow out of this relationship, we are at liberty to review our relations and to explore other avenues,” said former prime minister Gordon Darcy Lilo, who is contesting the April 3 election.
Lilo’s views, echoed in the rival ruling Democratic Alliance Party policy manifesto, and by other candidates, have caught Taipei’s attention.
