Solomon Islands voters go to polls with China’s influence in focus

Honiara, Solomon Islands — Solomon Islanders in shanty towns and far-flung islands voted Wednesday in an election that will decide whether their nation draws closer to China — with consequences for the entire South Pacific. In the capital Honiara, voters tramped through a muddy parking lot to cast their ballots, with many eager to have their say on the big-power rivalry that has reached their tropical shores. READ: Solomon Islands leader ‘appalled’ by Japan on Fukushima water Incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has wholeheartedly embraced China, holding Beijing’s authoritarian government up as the key to the islands’ economic development. His […]…

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