A Red Cross vehicle passes through the Chinatown district of Honiara, the Solomon Islands, on November 26, 2021.Photo: VCG

Local media in the Solomon Islands recently reported that Taiwan island allegedly sponsored the "premeditated" anti-government riots in Honiara with the purpose of trying to pull down the government of the Solomon Islands and sabotage relations between China and the Solomon Islands.

"The acts of violence directed against the democratically-elected government of the Solomon Islands, the ethnic Chinese business community in Honiara and the majority of peace-loving Solomon islanders was at its very core a premeditated, cold-blooded and cowardly Taiwan-sponsored attempt to pull down the national government and undermine Solomon Islands-People's Republic of China relations," Solomon Star, a local English media, reported on December 17, quoting a writer given the name of George Belau.

The newspaper said the riots resulted in the destruction of the livelihoods of innocent people and trashing of the Solomon Islands' economy, "clearly show Taiwan and its friends, the perpetrators of the riots are enemies of the entire Solomon Islands, not just of China."

The writer listed a few examples, such as the "provocative raising of the Taiwan-flag" by premier of Malaita Daniel Suidani in Malaita on multiple occasions and publication of the "Auki communiqué (a blatantly anti-China document)."

The writer also said Suidani's "unauthorized" detour to the Taiwan island in May 2021 was a "move to hatch plans together with Taiwan for future riots/civilian coup."

"China is the only global power that has never invaded another country, never imposed its values and systems on others, demonstrated the ability to cooperate with sworn enemies, not create new ones. China is the only power that represents development and not destruction. So Malaita and Solomon Islands, who do you desire as a friend?" the writer asked. 

"Certainly not Taiwan - most certainly not its agents and perpetrators of the riots. It is China for me and my people," the writer said. 

During the anti-government riots taking place in the Solomon Islands in November 2021, the Global Times conducted an investigative story about the riots and found that the riots truly reflected the scope of influence the US and the island of Taiwan have had over the region considering the island nation's history as a "geopolitical pawn."

Some Chinese nationals in the island nation reached by the Global Times also said that they highly suspect that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities' influence is behind the riots.

During the days-long riots, Chinese nationals in the Solomon Islands suffered great losses with their shops smashed, burned and looted and their personal safety in jeopardy. The Chinatown area suffered the heaviest damage with most shops looted and burned.

The Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare, told the press in November that the crisis "is influenced and encouraged by other powers." He further indicated that these forces influencing Malaita  ̶  the main island of the nation  ̶  are those that "don't want ties with the People's Republic of China," according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

In answering a query that many demonstrators were from the pro-Taiwan Malaita province and that the establishment of diplomatic ties with China may be the reason behind the riots, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a routine press conference on November 26, 2021 that the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Solomon Islands serves the fundamental and long-term interests of the Solomon Islands, and all attempts to disrupt the normal development of relations between the two sides are nothing but futile.