Leaks Reveal $1b Pledge to Counter Beijing’s Pacific Reach The recent no confidence motion against Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Matthew Wale has sent shockwaves through Canberra, where officials are breathing a sigh of relief.
The failed coup attempt was seen as a potential harbinger of a pro China government in the Solomons, just 2000 kilometers from Australia's mainland. For now, it seems Beijing's Pacific ambitions have hit a snag.
A leaked message from Australian High Commissioner Jeffrey Roach to Deputy Prime Minister Francis Sade revealed that each Solomon Islands constituency would receive an estimated $1.