Solomon Islands Suspends All US Naval Visits

The Solomon Islands has informed US authorities that all naval visits have been suspended until further notice following an earlier incident on Aug. 23 when a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, was denied permission for a scheduled port call.

• The incident comes amid mounting concerns about Beijing's influence in the region and Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's moves to deepen ties with the Chinese regime while solidifying his hold on power

The radio silence from Solomons authorities follows a series of incidents suggesting the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare is not only deepening ties with Beijing but also steadily eroding the country's democratic institutions to strengthen his position.

• The government signed off on a major deal with Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei on Aug. 18 to build 161 mobile towers in the country with a 448.9 million yuan (US$66.15 million) loan from the state-owned Export-Import Bank of China
• On Aug. 8, the prime minister's team submitted a Bill to Parliament to delay national elections, which some experts have suggested could be a way for the prime to avoid a potential election defeat.

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