Solomon Islands PM urges 'no more secrecy' over treaties with other countries
The Solomon Islands prime minister has announced that a review of his country's security agreement with China has begun.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale has initiated a review of his nation's security agreement with China. Wale claims he was only allowed to peruse the 2022 accord one day before a meeting in Canberra in May, just after his election as prime minister. He emphasized the inadequate transparency at the time, when he was opposition leader, and called for the current opposition leader, Manasseh Sogavare, to back the review.
This comes after Sogavare accused Wale's government of lacking transparency in a new pact with the United States that grants the US Coast Guard enhanced access to the Solomon Islands.
Wale reiterated his stance that there should be no more secrecy surrounding agreements that bind the country, stating, "I call on the Leader of the Opposition to support the review. This House must support the principle that no treaty should stand without the informed consent of Parliament. If that is the standard, then it must apply to every agreement this country has signed and not just some."
Despite the pivot towards the West, Wale stressed that China remains an important partner for Solomon Islands, declaring, "Solomon Islands remain friends to all and enemies to none."
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