China funded over $130,000 to Solomon Islands newspaper: Report

The Chinese government granted more than USD 130,000 to Solomon Islands news company in exchange for agreeing to “promote the truth about China’s generosity and its true intention to help develop” the Pacific island country, a funding document and email reviewed by Radio Free Asia-affiliated news organization BenarNews has revealed.

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After the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare shifted the island nation’s diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing in 2019, the nation became a hotspot in the rivalry between China and the United States.

In 2022, the Solomons signed a security pact with China sparking alarm for the US and allies like Australia, who fear that it could result in China’s military presence in the region, Radio Free Asia reported. According to a funding proposal made to the Chinese embassy in July 2022 by the owner of the Solomon Star newspaper and Paoa FM radio station, a collaboration will benefit Beijing by “promoting China as the most generous and trusted development partner in the Solomon Islands,” the report said.

The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which is funded by nonprofit organisations and government agencies, first reported about the pay-for-play agreement. It said that its Pacific reporting is funded by a no-strings-attached US government grant, Radio Free Asia reported. The documents examined by BenarNews give detailed information about what was previously an open secret in some circles in the Solomon Islands regarding gifts from the Chinese embassy intended for the local media. One of the two major newspapers in the Solomon Islands is The Solomon Star.