“The United States is in advanced talks to fund a port in the Solomon Islands, the Pacific nation’s leader said, reinvigorating a race for influence with China in the region.”
“The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), an agency designed to advance Washington’s foreign policy in developing countries, has struck memorandums with several South Pacific countries indebted to China since May.”
“Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, where Beijing has built sport stadiums, roads, government offices and airports over the past decade, signed with the DFC to explore infrastructure projects, US officials said.”
“The first major project likely to emerge is Bina Harbour, a deep water port in the Solomon Islands, where Washington and Canberra had feared China could build a dual-purpose military and civilian port.”
“Chinese construction companies were reported to have lobbied previous Solomons governments over the Bina project.”
“The Quad group of the US, Australia, Japan and India said in May they would jointly fund a port in another South Pacific country, Fiji, where a large fleet of Chinese fishing vessels is based.”