Pro Chinese Jeremiah Manele elected Prime Minister of Solomon Island

The legislators of the National Parliament of Solomon Islands have elected the former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele as the new prime minister of the country. He will replace the pro-China Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who decided not to stand for the election of the prime minister post. 

Jeremiah Manele, who is considered to be pro-China, secured 31 votes in the 50-member National Parliament of Solomon Islands. His opponent, Matthew Wale, who leads the main opposition Democratic Party, secured 18 votes in a secret ballot.

The general election held in the country on 17 April 2024 failed to give any political parties a decisive mandate. Both sides lobbied hard to gather support from the Independent legislators.

Manele heads a coalition known as the Government for National Unity and Transformation. It is a coalition of three political parties, including his Our Party.

Who is Jeremiah Manele?

The 55-year-old Jeremiah Manele was a professional diplomat before entering politics. He was the foreign minister during Sogavare's administration. The Sogavare administration broke its ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic ties with China in 2019.

In 2022, the Sogavare administration signed a secret security agreement with China, which alarmed Western powers like Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America.

Under one-China policy, China does not establish diplomatic relations with countries that have recognised Taiwan. China considers Taiwan as its breakaway province and has made it clear a number of times that it will again recapture Taiwan.

Rivalry between the Western countries and China in South Pacific

The South Pacific Ocean area has traditionally been a sphere of influence for Western powers like the United States and its allies, New Zealand and Australia. The South Pacific area consists of small island states with a small population. However, in recent times, China has tried to increase its influence in the region. The South Pacific island states control vast areas of resource-rich oceans and have military significance. The Chinese security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022 has raised fears in the United States. The US fears that the Chinese will establish a military base in the region, which is just 1200 miles from Australia. 

China’s biggest telecom company, Huawei, is building communication towers in the Solomon Islands. The US and its allies feel that these towers can be used for surveillance by the Chinese. The US fears that the Chinese are expanding their sphere of influence in the region, which will create a security threat for it and its allies.

Solomon Islands 

Solomon Island is an archipelago in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of volcanic islands and coral atolls.

The Solomon Islands was a British protectorate, and it gained independence in 1978.

Capital - Honiara. It is the capital and largest city of the Solomon Islands. It is located on Guadalcanal island.

Currency: Solomon Islands dollar