An aerial photo taken on May 4, 2022, shows the Chinese-built athletic track and the football pitch under a Stadium Project for the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, the Solomon Islands. Photo:Xinhua

The Chinese government encourages and supports competent and reputable Chinese enterprises to engage in foreign exchanges and cooperation, the Chinese Embassy in Solomon Islands said in a statement on a reported cooperation project between Huawei and the island country, dismissing Western media's malicious interpretation of the project.

The backward communication and other infrastructure of Solomon Islands has long been a bottleneck to its economic and social development, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy said on Saturday. The remarks came following reports that the Solomon Islands secured a $100 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China to build 161 mobile communication towers in cooperation with Chinese communications company Huawei. Some Western media outlets in recent days maliciously smeared this cooperation, hyping so-called security concerns and "debt trap."

"People in Solomon Islands have an urgent need to improve mobile communication services and to provide service guarantee for the 2023 Pacific Games [to be held in Solomon Islands]. We respect the relevant cooperation between the local government and Chinese companies and financial institutions which is on the basis of equality and mutual benefits in accordance with commercial principles," the spokesperson said.

Chinese Ambassador to the Solomon Islands Li Ming (R) and the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare attend the opening ceremony of Chinese Embassy in the Solomon Islands, in Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands, Sep 21, 2020. Photo:Xinhua

Some Australian media outlets claimed that the Solomon Islands will fall into a so-called "debt trap" if it accepts China's economic aid.

"The so-called 'China debt trap' is a 'narrative trap' created by some people with ulterior motives to disrupt and undermine mutually beneficial cooperation between China and other developing countries. Over the years, in response to the needs of developing countries, China has provided a large number of concessional loans with low interest rates and long maturities to help improve infrastructure and promote economic development," the spokesperson said. 

Among the foreign debts of these developing countries, the debt from China is far lower than the debt from the international capital market and multilateral financial institutions led by Western countries, according to the spokesperson.  

"China will continue to work with Solomon Islands and other developing countries to fully implement the Global Development Initiative and jointly build a high-quality Belt and Road Initiative so that the fruits of common development will benefit people of all countries in a more equitable manner" the spokesperson said.