3 global powers descend on Honiara

By EDDIE OSIFELO

SOLOMON Islands welcomed three global powers in recent days.

This after Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi made the first historical tour to the country for the first time in the history on Sunday.

On Monday, China International Development Agency officials arrived in the country to follow up on the multi-million projects they funded for the Pacific Games in November this year.

Followed on by USA’s Dr Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, National Security Council, who arrived with his eight-member delegation.

When asked why Solomon Islands is special by media during a press conference on Tuesday, Dr Campbell said so look this is an arena that the United States has critical strategic interests.

“We have moral interests.

“We have historical interests,” he said.

“I have visited the Solomons in the Pacific for decades.

“And I believe that the United States is seeking to step up its role and engagement in the Pacific for a multiplicity of reasons,” he said.

Dr Campbell said it is important to them for you to understand that United States believes that it is a Pacific nation, our states are in the region.

“We have a long-standing history here.

“I think it is very much in the interests of the Solomon Islands people that that more nations are paying attention or engaging on your terms and seeking to meet the needs of the Solomon Islands people some,” he said.

However, political analysts believe the diplomatic switch Solomon Islands made to China in 2019 and the Security pact signed with China in March 2022 have triggered the physical interest of US to the country.

Dr Campbell said the position of the United States and other countries in the region would be that while those interactions and engagements are appropriate.

“For instance, if there was any discussion about a permanent military base or something associated with power projection, the United States would have substantial concerns associated with that,” he added.

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