A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) clarifies that under the DCGA ‘friend to all and enemy to none’ policy, the Solomon Islands Government welcomes the return presence of the United States (US) Government based on our shared values and historical ties that stretch back to our sacrifices together during World War II, and look forward to working in partnership as pacific allies for long term and sustainable development of the both the Solomon Islands and the region as a whole.
“Accusations about the Prime Minister blocking US support for Malaita are misleading and inaccurate due to the fact that the funding support for Solomon Islands Infrastructure projects recently announced by the United States Ambassador to PNG and welcomed by the Prime Minister was not conditional on the sovereign decision over diplomatic ties with Taiwan or China,” the OPMC statement said.
The Solomon Islands Government is supportive of all development efforts by all Development Partners and is committed to see developments in all Provinces of Solomon Islands.
The entire process of reviewing Solomon Islands diplomatic relations with Taiwan and assessment of the One China Principle was not only unprecedented in terms of being the first country in the world to take such an approach to the policy question over cross strait relations, but the process was fully transparent and the final decision made in compliance with our democratic principles of governance and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relation 1961.
OPMC wishes to emphasize that it was in the DCGA’s 100 Days policy to review the country’s diplomatic relations and in particular the ‘China question’ the outcome of which was decided by Caucus and Cabinet under the mandate of democratically elected Leaders.
With regard to the Prime Minister’s travel to the United Nations General Assembly and statement on the change in diplomatic recognition from Taiwan, an official announcement will be released later today.
– PM Press Secretariat
