Solomon Islands bans visits by foreign diplomats vying for influence for two months

A letter dated Tuesday and addressed to "all development partners", without naming them, said the two month ban on visits would start on September 15, during "a crucial time for government". After signing a security pact with China last year, Solomon Islands has seen an uptick in visits by senior diplomats from Australia, the United States, Britain, Japan, Saudi Arabia and China.

The Solomon Islands has temporarily banned visits by foreign diplomats, saying in a letter to development partners which are vying for influence in the Pacific nation that the embargo is in place as officials finalise the national budget. A letter dated Tuesday and addressed to "all development partners", without naming them, said the two month ban on visits would start on September 15, during "a crucial time for government".

After signing a security pact with China last year, Solomon Islands has seen an uptick in visits by senior diplomats from Australia, the United States, Britain, Japan, Saudi Arabia and China. Pacific island nations, which lie in strategically important waterways, have become the focus of increased rivalry between China and the United States and its allies like Australia in recent years.

Washington and Canberra have expressed concerns over the security pact with China, and a policing deal signed during Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's visit to Beijing. After returning from a visit to Beijing in July, Sogavare said China would provide more budget support.

Australia is Solomon Islands biggest aid donor, although China has rapidly increased lending for infrastructure projects including a Huawei telecommunications network, and the United States international aid agency USAID has said it also wanted to offer infrastructure loans. The letter, posted on the Solomon Islands government website, said exceptions would be granted in the event of a natural disaster, or on a "case by case basis" for projects or visits "crucial to budget preparation".

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