Solomon Islands Joins 13 Pacific Nations in Partnership Declaration With United States

Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare (C) arrives for the opening remarks of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Suva on July 12, 2022. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

The Solomon Islands has joined 13 other Pacific nations in signing an 11-point partnership declaration with the United States, despite initially refusing and requesting more time to review it.

A total of 15 nations and regions, including the United States, signed the partnership declaration on the final day of their first-ever summit in Washington, according to a statement issued by the White House.

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1575661549057986560

The declaration covers their cooperation in addressing climate change, advancing economic and sustainable development, responding to natural disasters and COVID-19, and maintaining the security of the Pacific region.

“Pacific leaders welcome the United States’ commitment to enhance its engagement, including by expanding its diplomatic presence, the ties between our peoples, and U.S. development cooperation across the region,” it states.

Australia’s ABC News reported earlier that the draft of the declaration appeared to be “similar in intent” to a China-proposed trade and security deal with the Pacific that was shelved in May due to a lack of consensus.

Prior to signing the U.S.-Pacific declaration, the Solomon Islands reportedly notified other Pacific Island nations that it would not sign the declaration at the summit as its Parliament needed more time to review it.

The Solomon Islands signed a security deal with Beijing in April, which other nations feared would allow China to establish a military base 1,700 kilometers off the Australian coast and destabilize the Indo-Pacific region.

A U.S. coast guard vessel was denied permission for a scheduled port call in the Solomon Islands in late August, amid mounting concerns about the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the region.

Biden’s Pacific Partnership Strategy

Australian and U.S. leaders have taken steps to counteract Beijing’s push into the region, including launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity to bolster trade and economic exchange between nations.

The Biden administration on Sept. 29 released a strategic framework for ties with Pacific Island nations, the first document of its kind, aiming to increase engagement and prosperity in the region, as well as undergirding national security interests.

The Pacific Partnership Strategy (pdf) notes the increasing activity of the Chinese regime in the region.

“Pressure and economic coercion by the People’s Republic of China ... risks undermining the peace, prosperity, and security of the region, and by extension, of the United States,” it states.

However, the new strategic framework underscores that it isn’t focused on any adversary but seeks to positively develop the region by shoring up alliances and increasing trade and cooperation.

The release of the plan occurred on the final day of the U.S.-Pacific summit in Washington, during which the White House affirmed that it would dedicate more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the island nations.

The United States has provided more than $1.5 billion to support the Pacific Islands over the past decade, according to a senior administration official.

Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report.