Solomon Islands blocks US, China, Taiwan from Pacific’s top political meet

In response to pressure from Beijing to exclude Taiwan, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele said that 21 donor nations, including China and the United States, will not be invited to the region’s premier political gathering.

In September, the 18-member bloc’s conference will hold its annual summit in Solomon Islands, China’s closest strategic partner in the Pacific. Three island nations, who have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but not with China, have voiced their worries that Taiwanese diplomats might not be allowed entry. Solomon Islands withdrew Taiwan off a list of nations eligible for concessional entrance in April of 2019 and shifted its links from Taiwan to China.

Taiwan is a territory claimed by Beijing, which has strengthened its relations in the Pacific.
Because each nation’s connection with the Pacific has not yet been reviewed, Manele informed the Solomon Islands parliament on Wednesday that his government had chosen not to invite any discussion partners to this year’s event.

He claimed to have communicated the decision to the 18 leaders of the forum this week.
He stated that civil society organizations, the Asia Development Bank, and the World Bank will be present.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the United States is “disappointed by reports that Solomon Islands has decided to exclude dialogue and development partners from the PIF Leaders Meeting this year,” referring to the Pacific Island Forum.