Divided Isles: Solomon Islands and the China Switch

In 2019, Solomon Islands made international headlines when the country severed its decades-old alliance with Taiwan in exchange for a partnership with Beijing. The decision prompted international condemnation and terrified security experts, who feared Australia’s historical Pacific advantage would come unstuck.

This development was framed as another example of China’s inevitable capture of the region – but this misrepresents how and why the decision was made, and how Solomon Islanders have s...