DEAR EDITOR, last week there was local news that the giant Chinese IT company, “Huawei,” had donated 927 sets of tablets to Solomon Island students following a request from the Treasurer of the Solomon Islands-China Friendship Association (SICFA), Diana Yates, who has apparently requested the IT Company to donate up to 300 tablets for students being aided by SICFA.

The generous donation obviously gives a PR boost to China and it is claimed in a recent article by Wei Jia writing in China.org.cn, that perceptions of china are growing more positive.

The article went on to say (quote)

“In the 22-country survey conducted by the Center for International Communication Studies under the China International Publishing Group, China scored 6.22 out of 10 on its overall image, maintaining a slight upward curve in recent years.

“The Chinese survey, which includes the U.S., shares a similar finding as the Gallup survey— people aged 18 to 35 have the best impression of China.

“Besides the country’s economy, of which 33 percent of the survey’s 11,000 respondents believe will become the world’s largest, China’s global influence is also widely recognized.”

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has no official diplomatic relations with the Solomon Islands and, although the PRC is officially recognized by Australia and remains its largest trading partner, according to an article in the ‘Diplomat’ last week, written by Merriden Varrall, the “bilateral relationship is at a low point.”

Ms. Varrall went on to say, “Over the past year there has been heated discussion within Australian media and political circles about Chinese influence in the country, and its role in the world more broadly. Australian politicians have been public in their critique of China as a threat.”

“China has reacted strongly, both at the official and unofficial levels. Much Chinese media has been scathing in its coverage of Australia.”

The Solomon Islands must be cautious not to fall victim to any offers of monetary help, or in kind, from any source that could prejudice it national sovereignty, independence and values that are based on human rights and the rule of law.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, this concerns the problem of students standing so long in the bus stops in the morning.

I as a concerned parent and a resident of Honiara, I urge the government to look at the problem as one of the important issue for them to address it as the students are our leaders of tomorrow therefore they should be treated as important as they were our asset in the near future.

After the Honiara Town Council stopped short routes, they also cease the licence of foreigners who own buses, not to provide service.

This caused many inconvenience to the student who have no private vehicles and used to catch buses every morning because there are only a few buses owned by Solomon Islanders providing service thus students arrive at their respective schools very late.

Some schools in Honiara have school three tone pickups paid by their consistencies but are not being used to transport their students.

I think it is best for the Principals and the school committee to start thinking seriously to provide transport for their students every morning along the bus stops.

Therefore the schools in Honiara should have their own school buses to transport their students to schools rather than waiting for public buses in the bus stops for so long. The government, the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development ( MEHRD) should increase the budget for each schools to afford to buy their school buses.

I urge that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance should present the increased annual budget to the parliament this year for them to look at the issue of our students and to ensure pass the budget.

We should look at our student more important as they are the future leaders of tomorrow.

Marlysah Steven

Student

USP SI Campus

DEAR EDITOR, I think the above topic is not a new thing but I would like to share my opinion so that the public could rethink on how to behave and act when coming to rubbish disposal.

Firstly, I would share what I had witnessed.

Yesterday, I was travelling in a public bus with a woman and her three children sat beside me.

Along the way they ate some snacks and when they finished eating, the mother held those plastics nicely and threw them out off the window.

However, to my expectation she would take them nicely and dispose them at the right place but that scenario surprised me to see a woman in about her 30s for doing that and so I stared at her for a minute.

While staring at her, these three questions prompted at the back of my mind, firstly, what did she expect when leaving the rubbish behind?

Secondly, who will be responsible for that rubbish?

And finally did she know that she is educating her children for acting irresponsible?

Again, all good citizen of Solomon Islands, we must understand that the cleanliness of this country especially Honiara City depends on us, therefore, be mindful to our behaviours and act responsibly when coming to rubbish disposal.

I reiterate my call to be responsible by applying these 3 Rs, Reuse, Recycle and Reduce to stop littering and help keep our country clean.

ALICE PENLOPE HOTE

Honiara

AS the Solomon Islands draws nearer to celebrating its 40th year of independence it remains a developing nation and is largely reliant on foreign aid to help its struggling economy and to balance the books.

Taiwan assists the Solomon Islands with money, annually, in the form of Constitutional Development Funds (CDF) and what is described as a “Discretional Fund.”

Internationally, Taiwan’s money to the Solomon Islands is often viewed with disdain and described as chequebook diplomacy in order to support Taiwan’s foreign policy which, allegedly, uses economic aid and investment between countries to curry diplomatic favour.

Editorial commentary in the Solomon Star newspaper in the past few days has highlighted the growing problem of unemployment, job scarcity and the lack of rural development in the Solomon Islands, linking much of the problems to the alleged failure of the CDF in the hands of the nation’s leaders.

It is not new criticism and I touched on the issue last October when I wrote this piece in a letter to the local media.

“Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) has also claimed that there had been little to show for the money given annually to local MPs by Taiwan for Constituency development projects, a sentiment I recall a former Taiwanese Ambassador saying on his final departure from the Solomon Islands.

“Taiwan, a country with democratic principles and with a sound anti-corruption policy, cannot be immune from such stories that give rise to possible corruption in the Solomon Islands and the fact that there those who often accuse the ROC of playing the game of cheque book diplomacy in support of Solomon’s recognition.

“Taiwan has always denied such accusations insisting the assistance it offers is legitimate and in accordance with sharing, “economic prosperity and providing practical help to countries in the Pacific with renewable energy, vocational training, medical assistance and protecting the region’s tuna stocks.”

“Will the loss of Panama have had an effect on Taiwan’s ongoing relationships with its remaining diplomatic partners and will the Solomon Islands see a change in the way Taiwan gives financial assistance?

“The promise of a factory for Honiara (next year) to manufacture solar panels to me, at least, seems to have signalled a shift to direct aid that will generate local employment, boost the economy and have tangible outcomes to dispel some of the allegations that have long persisted over the use, and often the alleged miss-use of Constituency Development Funds.

“A next step could be to encourage Taiwan’s direct involvement with investment and technology transfers to kick-start the still awaiting free economic zones ideas heralded by the SIG some 18 months ago.

“By supporting tangible outcomes to its investments in the Solomon Islands, the ROC could be viewed as a reliable partner on the wider global stage to develop deeper informal relations that could provide broader avenues for Taiwan to assert itself.”

As I view the continued inferences to the alleged misuse of the CDF and see no improvement in real employment gains year on year in the Solomons, I compare Australia’s approach to aid in Thailand.

Here Australia’s Direct Aid Program (DAP is a flexible, small grants scheme for development activities, managed by the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.

The program funds projects that provide direct benefits to those most in need in the local community, including vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.

DAP projects are aimed primarily at achieving practical and tangible outcomes, such as on poverty alleviation, community health; schools/education; small-scale infrastructure; rural development; gender equality; environmental benefits including managing or adapting to climate change and ad hoc humanitarian relief.

Taiwan has been a good friend of the Solomon Islands but perhaps should think more, like Australia, in supporting tangible outcomes by way of investment that will result in employment and especially in the rural areas.

The promised solar panel manufacturing plant for Honiara could herald such a way forward.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT