Taiwan to China in Solomon Islands
Hi Ben,
I’m KH, your subscriber, living in the Solomon Islands. I guess you are aware of the news in the title. I just want to share local views to put it into perspective.
Yesterday, the cabinet of this country decided to switch diplomatic relations from Taiwan to China. It shows how the Western control is fading and China is taking over in the Pacific.
Despite polls that showed 80 percent of Solomon Islanders and over 50 percent of Parliament being against breaking relations with Taiwan in favor of China, most shops in cities and towns in this country are already owned by the Chinese. Now people here are worried about even greater Chinese dominance.
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3777858
An aid deal of $500 million USD by China was reportedly the main reason for this switch. But the Solomon government has money. Every year, a lot of funds remain unspent because of lack of management capacity.
Also, logging is destroying the forests of the Solomon Islands, despite the fact that it is the main source of government income. The majority of the logs are exported to China. Accelerated loss of the beautiful nature is another concern.
Best wishes,
—KH
Thanks for the information.
—BF