Solomons row

Hu’s visit sparks Solomons row

The visit to the South Pacific of the Chinese communist party general secretary, Hu Yaobang, sparked a parliamentary row in Solomon Islands with prime

minister Sir Peter Kenilorea de fending himself against allega tions that his government was throwing itself into world power politics by inviting ties with

China.

Mr Hu did not visit Solomon Islands, because Peking has no diplomatic relations with Hon iara, but the Solomons Opposi tion criticised the Kenilorea government for recently esta lishing what was called ’’sister relations” with some Chinese provinces.

The irony of the upset is that when Opposition leader, Mr Solomon Mamaloni, was prime minister his government toyed with opening diplomatic rela tions not only with the People’s Republic of China, but also Taiwan.

In 1983 Mr Mamaloni and his foreign minister, Mr Denis Lulei, went to Taipei to discuss possible Taiwanese investment in Solomon Islands. The Taiwanese also, apparently, offered to help Mr Mamaloni establish a para-military force.

Concurrently, the Solomons finance minister, Mr Bart Ulu fa’alu, was in Peking heading a delegation for talks with the Chinese over aid, including fin ance for a new national parlia ment building in Honiara.

There was apparently some talk

about diplomatic relations, but nothing came of it immediately.

The Taiwanese, however, moved more quickly leading, six months later, to a spirited protest from Peking which ac cused the Mamaloni govern ment of ”an act of interference” in China’s internal policy, by establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan at the consular level.

The situation showed no signs of improvement, and perhaps some decline in Taipei, after Mr Mamaloni said he was ’’fully aware” that Taiwan was a province of the People’s Re public of China, but saw as a fact that Taiwan was governed by its own constitution and was a sovereign entity. He said that if Peking was serious about relations, then it should ’’come out with a clear stand” by having serious discussions with his government.

Shortly thereafter Solomon Islands signed a technical cooperation agreement with Taiwan under which Taipei would send agricultural teams in to carry out pilot projects on cultivation of rice, vegetables and fruit.

Solomon Mamaloni