Beijing was ready to send heavy weaponry and security personnel to the Chinese Embassy in the Solomon Islands last December to enhance “safety and security” following violent riots in the capital Honiara, which saw the Chinatown district razed.
The letter from the Chinese diplomatic outpost to the Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs reveals that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was prepared to dispatch a range of “light weapons and equipment”, including two machine guns, one sniper rifle, 10 pistols, 10 rifles, and “police equipment” including 10 electric batons.
