The Solomon Islands said Tuesday (October 4) that it opposed an early version of the U.S.-Pacific Islands partnership statement, saying it was “uncomfortablein the face of several indirect references to China.
The archipelago’s foreign minister, Jeremiah Manele, was questioned by journalists in New Zealand on press reports concerning the reservations that his country would have formulated around the joint declaration, signed in Washington last week.
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“In the initial version, there were several references that we were uncomfortable withsaid Mr. Manele. They “put us in a position where we had to choose a side and we don’t want to be placed in (such) a position“, he added. Asked if these references were to China, he replied: “indirectly.»
According to Jeremiah Manele, the summit held at the end of September in Washington between the United States and 14 Pacific island nations was then able to find a “middle groundduring negotiations, allowing the Solomon Islands to sign the final declaration.
The United States has been a key player in the South Pacific since its victory in World War II.
In recent years, however, China has strongly asserted its presence there by making investments, training police officers and, more controversially, establishing a security pact with the Solomons.
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To counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region, US President Joe Biden announced at the summit a new $810 million aid fund for Pacific islands and signed a joint statement with them, promising a stronger partnership. narrow.
Manele, who was speaking in Wellington on Tuesday following talks with his New Zealand counterpart Nanaia Mahuta, said both China and the United States were welcome in the Pacific. He reiterated the Solomon Islands’ position that their security pact with Beijing, signed in April, would not lead China to establish a military presence in the archipelago.
Asia-Pacific “should not be seen as a region of confrontation, conflict, warsaid Mr. Manele. “We welcome America’s re-engagement in the Pacific and look forward to working with all of our partners.»
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