Solomon Islands deny US Coast Guard cutter entry

A US Coast Guard cutter patrolling during an International mission in the Pacific Ocean was denied entry to a Solomon Islands port, stemming concerns of Chinese influence.

Cutter Oliver Henry was part of Operation Island Chief and monitoring fishing activities in the Pacific – which ended on Friday – when it was stopped from docking at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands to replenish and refuel.

According to the Coast Guard, the Solomon Islands government never responded to the Diplomatic clearance request for the cutter and so it had to park in neighboring Papua New Guinea.

The US, Australia, UK, and New Zealand were part of Operation Island Chief and provided air and land surveillance to the Pacific Island nations part of the operation, including the Solomon Islands. It isn’t clear why the Island nation ‘ignored’ the clearance message but rising Chinese influence through ‘investments’ or more bluntly put, loans, is cited.

China, to coerce Pacific nations, even out its existential crisis with Taiwan, and get close to the Australia coast has been trying to extend its influence in the region through its infamous BRI and other ‘investment’ projects.

In April, the Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister announced a controversial security pact with China which took the US and Australia by surprise. He has denied time and again that the pact would enable China to set up a military base in the country, but has also not made the contents of the Pact public and not even shared it with the Opposition.

The news of the security pact came just a couple of months after the US announced to reestablish its Embassy in the country for the first time since 1993.

Experts believe the only reasons China wants to exist in the Pacific are: