Don't blame poor Pacific island countries for turning to China
A Solomon Islands journalist speaks up on the limits of loyalty to the West in the face of neglect and bleak prospects.
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Honiara's Chinatown last November after two days of rioting, fuelled by suspicion over the Solomon Islands' ties with China.
PHOTO: AFP
Dorothy Wickham
HONIARA, SOLOMON ISLANDS (NYTIMES) - Judging from the American and Australian reactions, China's push to raise its profile in the Pacific Ocean seems frightening indeed.
Secretive negotiations between Beijing and the government of my home country, the Solomon Islands, have raised speculation that they could lead to a Chinese military presence here.
