China accused of pressuring Solomon Islands minister to quit IPAC

Sydney, May 21 (CNA) A civil anti-corruption group in the Solomon Islands has suggested China influenced local media to exert political pressure leading to the withdrawal of a government minister from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a coalition critical of China and supportive of Taiwan.

Solomon Islands Minister for Rural Development Daniel Waneoroa announced on May 11 his withdrawal from IPAC -- a global cross-party alliance of more than 240 lawmakers from 27 countries that focuses on China-related trade, security and human rights issues, according to a government statement released that day.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Radio New Zealand (RNZ) both reported on the announcement and raised questions about whether political pressure from China led to the withdrawal.

The Chinese Embassy in the Solomon Islands denied those allegations, according to both media outlets.

Transparency Solomon Islands, a nonprofit organization committed to fighting corruption and promoting accountability and good governance in the Solomon Islands, told CNA that China's denial was not enough to dismiss its involvement in the affair.

Ruth Liloqula, the organization's chief executive, pointed to the island nation's official statement, which cited both China and Taiwan in explaining Waneoroa's withdrawal from IPAC.

The statement from the Solomon Islands government described the move as a gesture of unity and inclusive leadership, while reaffirming the government's commitment to the "One China" principle.

That principle recognizes Beijing's claim -- strongly denied by Taipei -- that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Liloqula said Beijing, for instance, had provided the Solomon Star, a major English-language daily in the Pacific island nation, with equipment worth hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars.

She added that China also sponsored trips for Solomon Star reporters to visit the PRC and produce favorable coverage.

According to Liloqula, the Solomon Star contributed to public pressure ahead of Waneoroa's withdrawal from IPAC, including with a May 3 commentary that claimed his role in the China-focused group conflicted with the government's "One China" policy.

She said these reports were essentially Chinese propaganda and suggested people may think the current Solomon Islands government under Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele is under Chinese influence.

The Solomon Islands government switched diplomatic relations from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the People's Republic of China (PRC) in September 2019, prompting Taiwan to cut ties with the Pacific island nation that has a population of around 800,000.

"Beijing's purpose is to diminish Taiwan's international presence, hurt the Taiwanese people, and gradually suppress and eliminate Taiwan's sovereignty," a statement published by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time.