Solomon Islands

Pussyhands

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/26/us-wont-rule-out-military-action-if-china-establishes-base-in-solomon-islands

The US has said they may take military action against the Solomon Islands if they allow China to set up a security base there.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/05/05/cidf-m05.html

The Solomon Islands PM has warned of an invasion by the US and Australia.

Will the US now condemn the US for this threat of invasion? Are the Solomon Islands not free to choose their own path?

Overheal

Here is the current position of the United States Government AFAIK:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/04/24/us-solomon-islands-china-pact/7433221001/

To me it sounds like normal NATO talk. Russia and China tell us the same things when we plant our flag somewhere.

The WH's diplomacy (across administrations) typically benefits from non specificity in threats. The PM is free to suggest it's a warning for an invasion because the WH's position is the response to China expansion in the Solomon Islands (SIs) is so intentionally vague to be anything from a strongly worded tweet to a nuclear strike, with the rationality of the recipient to fill in any blanks or common sense cues.

ewiz9

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-adviser-campbell-visits-solomon-islands-after-china-pact-signed-2022-04-22/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/26/us-wont-rule-out-military-action-if-china-establishes-base-in-solomon-islands

dotsman

Of course it can decide. But it needs to understand the implications.

Beasty

Threads merged

Gatling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058244621/solomon-islands

Didn't Russia do the same with it's nearest neighbor

nigeldaniel

The case involving the Solomon Islands is a long-running one. I can't say I understand it myself but looking at how China tapped up a number of countries over the years with 'Investments monies' I bet a few on those Islands did not quite know what they were getting into. China has a long-established record of buying its way into what they fancy. I have no idea at all how it might end up.

flugh

I worked there years ago. The Taiwanese had a tuna canning factory there for many years, a good deal for the SI government post 1978 Independence. The Chinese of course didn't like that. After the British left the SI remained in the ambit of the west, Austraila and New Zealand, etc, and are in the Commonwealth, but as elsewhere the great powers of the world are in a continuous struggle to extend their influence and power. Aid and development money from China has curried favour and the government threw the Taiwanese out and invited the Chinese in. Not everyone there is happy with that. I hadn't seen the US statement. Thanks. Surprised that the Solomon Islands had been mentioned here at all.

By the way - does any one know of Solomon Islanders living in Ireland? I need to brush up on my pidgin and get some SI help with a piece of writing I'd doing. Stan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119065357#Comment_119065357

To be fair, China is simply mimicking the way the US has expanded their own influence abroad. US investment (and the withdrawal of it), business contracts, arms sales, etc have all been used previously to ensure that countries are within the US sphere of influence, and while we might make claims about how wonderful western culture is... the simple truth is that the US has badly mismanaged many of their "allies" over the decades.

This is not an attempt to defend/justify Chinese expansion, but any such moves should be taken in context, with the awareness that the US and the European powers (UK/France) set the theme long ago.. and continue to this day. It's rather hypocritical to expect China not to expand in the same manner,... since it works. Just as China in Africa has been seen to be both a PR campaign (helping, building infrastructure, teaching, etc). while at the same time, exploiting the local conditions for resources, or alliances. Again, a page out of the Western manual for global diplomacy.

It'll end up with the same crap that's happened before in the region. Lots of minor naval/air skirmishes blown out of proportion, all contributing to a ramping up towards war.

Podge_irl

The US has said they may take military action against the Solomon Islands if they allow China to set up a security base there.

They really haven't and nothing there could remotely be sanely construed as a threat of invasion.

Yurt2

Did you know the word robot comes from the Russian verb to work?

Some fine robot-ing going on in here.

Richard Hillman

I didn't realize that Guadalcanal was the Solomon Islands. You can see why it has so much importance to either party after the price paid in WW2

seenitall

Just looked it up. This summer marks 80 years since the battle of Guadalcanal. I loved the film “The Thin Red Line” by Terrence Malick set within that. (But it’s not your typical war movie, you have to love Malick’s contemplative style.)