The New Zealand government has rejected claims by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare that it has withheld financial support promised to the country.
On Monday, soon after landing back in Honiara from his official visit to Beijing, Sogavare told local media the Australian and New Zealand governments had promised budget support but “changed their position and delayed their assistance”.
Sogavare, as first reported by ABC, said the decision of its “traditional donors” to pull funding support had pushed Solomon Islands to lean on China, who agreed to “fill the gap”.
I guess it’s just a way to force more payments like “If you don’t give us money we can give China a chance to have a nice military base on our island.”
IIRC, last week the Solomon Islands signed several diplomatic agreements with China, and Australia and New Zealand have been demanding to know what’s in them.
And votes in the UN. Every country gets one vote, so Solomon Islands have the same impact as NZ. Every tiny country China can buy off helps their positions.
From the article:
“Some of our donor partners who have committed to providing budget support to us this year have since changed their position and delayed their assistance for us and we are struggling to finance the 2023 budget,” he said.
“This has left this country and people in a predicament. But I am delighted to announce, the People’s Republic of China has really stepped up to provide this budget support needed for 2023.”
Australia had promised $12 million and New Zealand promised $15m in budget support, according to Sogavare.
When asked later in the media conference to expand on this statement, he responded in Solomon Islands Pidgin saying that prior to his departure to Beijing cabinet had heard that budgetary funding expected this year from several donor partners including New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the World Bank had been delayed for various reasons.
“So, we have analysed that in different ways. But that is how it is,” he said…
However, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson told RNZ Pacific: “We have not withheld or delayed any budget support to Solomon Islands.”
Choosing beggars vibes
