A White House envoy yesterday decried “disinformation and smears” about US motives in the Solomon Islands, after his meeting with the country’s pro-China leader was overshadowed by unsubstantiated rumors of dark plots and geopolitical intrigue.
National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell was in Honiara as part of Washington’s effort to counter growing Chinese political, economic and security influence in the South Pacific.
There he met Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has previously lashed out at Western nations and signed a security deal with Beijing that has brought a steady trickle of Chinese police officers to the country.
Photo: AFP
Campbell told reporters that his visit was designed to promote a “positive agenda” that tackles Pacific priorities such as climate change, protection of fish stocks and education exchanges.
However, he also faced questions at the news conference about an unsubstantiated report of a supposedly US-backed plot to kill Sogavare that has featured in at least one local newspaper.
Rumors about coup plots and assassination attempts frequently bubble to the surface in the Solomon Islands, but the acts themselves rarely materialize.
“The United States has been the subject of some disinformation and smears; we find that deplorable,” Campbell said. “I can’t say it more clearly. We’re here with the best intentions, determined to work in support of the people of the Solomon Islands.”
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