China has lost its strongest regional supporter with the Solomons leader, Manasseh Sogavare, being forced to stand aside after failing to gain a majority in the country’s election. After dominating Solomons politics for four decades, Sogavare ‘s governing party won just 15 seats, well short of the 26 seats needed to form government .
Last year, Manasseh Sogavare triggered alarm bells in the democracies when he said that China was “the way to go forward” for the Solomons and insisted – against all the evidence – that China does not have strategic ambitions in the Pacific.
His people have clearly disagreed – forcing him to stand aside in a humiliating set-back, although he won his own seat and will presumably continue to wield influence behind the scenes.
While the Solomons election wasn’t fought solely on the issue of Chinese influence in the country, Manasseh Sogavare’s removal is a warning to other Pacific leaders that closer ties with Beijing is not an election winner.
It demonstrates that Fiji’s Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, is right to be wary of boosting the China connection and not just because of the risk of offending the democracies and especially close neighbours Australia and New Zealand. Sogavare’s repudiation by his own people when he was so closely identified with the Chinese will not be lost on Rabuka or any Pacific politician.
China has spent hundreds of millions of dollars boosting ties with the Solomons and hoping to capitalise on its strategic proximity to Australia. So there will be rueful faces in Beijing and at its big embassy in Suva, which has been trying to contain the fallout from the unmasking of local businessman Zhao Fugang as a Chinese agent of influence and alleged drug-runner.
That’s what you get with democracies. Damn, damn, damn.
From the Sydney Morning Herald:
Yadra and Vinaka GD for stepping in to inform us about ex-PM Sogavare. So relevant to Fiji and the Pacific island states which are led by cheap and selfish leaders.
Startling revelations too on Mr Sogavare by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project: https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/solomon-islands-pm-has-millions-in-property-raising-questions-around-wealth
Sadly and as you’ve widely articulated, our youth and potential leaders in Fiji will follow suit in the absence of role models in the high Ministerial offices for Education and Children, let alone that of the PM and AG.
BTW, OCCRP’s site has interesting (as Fred would say) reports on that Coalition-protected trafficker and agent, Mr Zhao. Hope his protectors will also feature soon in OCCRP’s work. Isa, 2026, please come soon!
Yes, thank you for the OCCRP report. Very interesting reading. Chinese workers fast-tracking the construction of homes for the outgoing PM. What a surprise.
When such fast tracking happens, regulations are bypassed, thus compromising safety standards. Then stop work orders are followed by work resumption notices, and the vicious cycle continues. Glaring examples are the diplomatic apartments along Princes Rd in Tamavua and the capital’s skyscraper hotel, whose development permit public consultations reportedly occurred the day after bulldozers had already started groundbreaking works!!! Thus, it will be useful to establish how the maze of building regulations and inefficient bureaucracy in Honiara were cleared in record times in order to build and complete ex-PM Sogavare’s mansions before he exits his official home.
China or no China, I just cant wait for 2026 to give NFP a good old kick in the next elections.
The great betrayers need to be made an example of.