Solomons is again at flashpoint

China would be foolish to ignore the significance of the violent anti-Beijing, pro-Taiwan rioting that erupted on Wednesday on the streets of Honiara, the capital of Solomon Islands. The torching by protesters of parliamentary buildings, Chinese businesses and a police station should leave Xi Jinping in no doubt about the depth of antagonism that persists in the Solomons over the 2019 decision to dump 36 years of beneficial diplomatic and economic ties to Taiwan. That switch underpinned the protests in which more than 1000 demonstrators, mainly from the pro-Taiwan province of Malaita, poured into the capital to vent their anger and demand the resignation of pro-Beijing Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Malaita is the Solomons’ most populous province. Its premier is Daniel Suidani, who says he rejected substantial bribes offered to support the switch to Beijing. To the chagrin of Mr Sogavare and Beijing, Malaita has maintained close ties with Taiwan. The Solomons is a remote nation of 680,000 people, most devoutly Christian. It is not only Mr Suidani and Malaita’s people who have grave misgivings about the switch from Taiwan to Beijing and who fear growing Chinese influence could lead to the same oppression of religious rights seen in China. Many other Solomon Islanders resent the change. Soon after Mr Sogavare’s government made the contentious decision to abandon Taiwan, he was given a hero’s welcome in Beijing. He returned home after signing agreements firmly shackling the Solomons to Mr Xi’s notorious Belt and Road “debt diplomacy” initiative, including building a $74m stadium in Honiara. As usual, China put its own interests first. It gave itself the right to build major infrastructure projects and take over other businesses, including a goldmine. It has also built a large, showpiece embassy in the centre of Honiara.

Mr Xi will doubtless regard the openly anti-China manifestations as an inconsequential pinprick. But he shouldn’t. The defection to Beijing of first the Solomons and then nearby Kiribati was trumpeted by Beijing as a historic advance in our region for the “one China” policy. It left Taiwan recognised by only 15 countries. But if Mr Xi thought things were going all his way in the Pacific, the rancour towards Chinese bullying and coercion in Honiara should provide him with a dose of much-needed reality. It also should give Taiwan another boost following Joe Biden’s invitation to it to attend his summit of the world’s democracies next month.