SOLOMON Islands preparation toward hosting the 2023 Pacific Games could harmonise the deep political division between China and Taiwan.
Well, that is if both countries decide to assist Solomon Islands build the needed infrastructure before the premier ‘Olympic’ type Games for the South Pacific region.
The least we expect is for the two countries to halt their assistance to Solomon Islands toward the Games and leave the host with no proper sports infrastructure constructed before the 2023 Pacific Games.
The gap between the powerful People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) or Taiwan could be narrowed if they both agreed to assist Solomon Islands
As it stands, Solomon Islands does not have proper stadiums and sports facilities to be able host the Pacific Games with less than seven years to go.
Solomon Islands has only six years to identify venues and build the main sports stadium and other sports facilities to cater for the 24 sports it will host in 2023.
With 33 years of diplomatic ties with ROC of Taiwan, Solomon Islands has agreed on a deal with Taipei for the release of SBD $1.6 million to build the main stadium for the Pacific Games.
The Taiwanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr David Tawai Lee in July 2016 said Taipei will work with Honiara to ensure Solomon Islands successful hosting of the 2023 Pacific Games.
Pacific neighbours Fiji, Samoa and Papua New Guinea who have diplomatic ties to Mainland China have successfully hosted past Games due largely to financial assistance from Peoples Republic of China.
Solomon Islands and specifically its current Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has in the past been toying with the idea of establishing diplomatic ties with China and he is now pursuing it vigorously, this time commercially albeit political as it seems.
So much so, that he embarrassed Taipei and the ROC Ambassador in Honiara His Excellency Victor Te-Sun when he met the PRC Deputy Chief of Mission in Papua New Guinea, Wang Genhua on the eve of his departure to Taiwan in late July 2016.
Reports claimed Sogavare requested funding assistance from PRC for the 2023 Pacific Games during his meeting with Mr Genhua and Mr Wang Junshuai, the attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Port Moresby.
Discussions with the Chinese diplomats centred on trade and investment and possibility of forming party relations, the United Democratic Party (UDP) of Solomon Islands which Sogavare is affiliated to and the Communist Party of China on forming party to party relations.
“This is an understanding reached between Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and the visiting Counsellor of the PNG-based Chinese Embassy, Wang Genhua,” Mr. George Atkin from the Caucus Office in the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Sogavare had a courtesy visit immediately after by Taiwan Embassy officials in Honiara two days before his 16 member delegation left for Taipei.
He was accused as being tactless, undiplomatic and insensitive leader by former Prime Minister and Independent Leader Dr Derek Sikua for seeking assistance from China whilst Taipei had already committed to fund the main stadium for the Pacific Games.
Sogavare’s 16 member delegation to Taipei included his wife, six Members of Parliament, four secretaries, a foreign affairs protocol officer and two police officers with a total cost of $1.6 million for only eight people. Taiwan paid for airfares, accommodation and food for the other eight members.
Tax payers criticise the duplicating roles of people travelling with Sogavare and the huge expenses incurred for just a visit to personally congratulate Taiwan’s first female President Tsai Ing-wenon; and in so doing overlooked the diplomatic blunder he had stirred.
However assumptions he wanted to appease Taiwan following his meeting with PNG-based Chinese diplomats were quickly brushed aside.
“The trip to ROC was planned long time. It has nothing to do with recent media statements regarding purported statements on China which were not reflective of our current position,” Mr Andrew Muaki, Special Secretary to PM told Island Sun.
Knowingly he had a planned trip to Taiwan and then making public and official his meeting with the Chinese envoy; and his party’s intention to have ties with the Communist Party of China baffled political observers.
What is clear was that Sogavare wishes to exploit political differences between Beijing and Tapei to maximise benefits in raising fund toward building various top-class sports infrastructure for the 2023 Pacific Games.
He may just be the sacrificial lamb to bring China and Taiwan together for a common purpose of uniting the Pacific region through sports; and in doing so played down the diplomatic row as a minor incident.
Sogavare’s eight-day state visit to Taiwan is his fifth to the country and was made at the invitation of the ROC Government.
He was the first foreign head of state to visit Taiwan since Tsai’s inauguration in May.
Solomon Islands is one of six Pacific Islands states who have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
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