Australia must engage with Solomon Islands with mutual respect. It’s about so much more than keeping Beijing at bay | Connor Graham

A change of government in Honiara is not just a development in regional competition with China

When Matthew Wale won a parliamentary vote to become Solomon Islands’ prime minister last month, the questions came quickly: What does this mean for Beijing? Is this good news for Australia? When will the new PM tear up the 2022 security pact with China, sever ties with Beijing and declare Australia Solomon Islands’ best friend in perpetuity?

This pervasive framing treats a change of government in Honiara primarily as a development in Australia’s competition with China – a mistake Canberra should not repeat when Wale arrives for talks with Anthony Albanese on Wednesday. The important question is this: how can Australia be the partner Solomon Islands needs?