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US Expands Presence in Pacific with Embassy of Soloman Islands after 29 years


US Expands Presence in Pacific with Embassy of Soloman Islands after 29 years

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce the opening of the new embassy.

Nadi, Fiji:

A senior State Department official said on Saturday that the United States plans to re-establish its embassy in the Solomon Islands, as Washington seeks to bolster its presence in an area where China is rapidly expanding its influence.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce the opening of a new embassy on the Pacific island nation during a visit to nearby Fiji – 29 years after the United States downgraded its diplomatic presence there.

The United States closed its embassy in Honiara in 1993 and now has consular representation there, with an embassy in Papua New Guinea’s capital, Port Moresby.

While in the Fijian city of Nadi, Blinken will host a virtual meeting with leaders from around 18 Pacific island nations as Washington seeks to play up the diplomatic and security game in the region to prevent further conflict. China’s push for their stronger presence.

According to US officials, China has made a special effort to gain influence and presence in several island nations in the region.

In December, China said it would send police advisers and riot gear to the Solomon Islands as foreign peacekeepers begin to leave the Pacific nation after being deployed in raids. deadly protests.

Riots on an island chain of 800,000 people erupted in November when protesters tried to storm parliament and then raged for three days, burning much of Honiara’s Chinatown.

The protests were sparked by opposition from veteran Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and partly fueled by poverty, unemployment and rivalries between the islands.

But at the heart of the unrest is Sogavare’s attempt to forge closer ties with Beijing after abruptly severing the island’s longstanding ties with Taiwan in 2019.

China opposes any official exchanges between other countries and self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers its own territory pending reunification.

The Solomons government in December said it had accepted Beijing’s offer of six “communication officers” to train its police force and equipment including shields, helmets, batons and equipment. other “non-lethal” damage.

In recent years, China has stepped up pressure to isolate Taiwan internationally, prompting eight countries to switch their diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing since 2016.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from the syndication feed.)



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