Solomons Islands and Taiwan

Taiwan's dollar diplomacy has earned the hypocritical ire of the South Pacific Commonwealth nations...

A controversial plan by the Solomon Islands prime minister to have his personal police bodyguards given firearms training in Taipei has been quashed by the Taiwanese government.

Manasseh Sogavare's government wants to rearm its police force, a move opposed by the Australian-led region assistance mission in the island nation.

The rearming plan has also been condemned by civil groups fearful of a return to violence and ethnic unrest in the troubled nation.

Sogavare has brushed aside an Australian-led training package for his police bodyguards in favour of a Taiwanese course.

Last year, when Chinatowns in the Solomons were attacked during riots, the governments of Australia and New Zealand were critical....

Following destructive riots in the Solomons capital Honiara in April, the Australian and New Zealand governments criticised the Taiwanese government for engaging in chequebook diplomacy in the Pacific to win diplomatic recognition from small island nations.

The Solomons government recognises Taiwan as an independent nation from mainland China.

In return it receives generous cash aid packages, some of which are alleged to be misused by corrupt politicians to buy support to win power.

Many people ask what good independence would be for Taiwan. But here is a perfect example: the problems Taiwan has with its diplomatic operations are a direct result of its lack of real independence, and they impose actual costs, not only on Taiwan, but also on other nations. But here I'd like to highlight the pure hypocrisy of the Commonwealth states. The reason Taiwan has to purchase the governments of small nations is because nations like Australia and New Zealand kowtow to China on the Taiwan issue. In other words, the position of Oz and New Zealand is that Taiwan is bad for selling out the people of the Solomons to pursue its own interests with China, but it is OK for the governments of Oz and New Zealand to sell out Taiwan to pursue their own interests with China.

Check the beam in thine own eye, guys.

[Taiwan] [New Zealand] [China] [Australia] [Solomons]