US reopens Solomons embassy but PM Sogavare skips ceremony

The United States has reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands after a 30-year hiatus, part of a bid to counter China's growing influence in the South Pacific.

Re-establishing the diplomatic outpost was a renewal "of our commitment to the people of Solomon Islands and our partnerships in the Indo-Pacific [Asia-Pacific] region", US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday.

The embassy in the capital, Honiara, is starting small, with a charge d'affaires, a couple of State Department staff and a handful of local employees. 

The US closed its embassy in 1993 after the end of the Cold War led to a reduction in diplomatic posts and a shift in priorities.

Washington signalled its intent to re-establish a Honiara embassy in early 2022 before the Solomons signed a security pact with China.

The deal, penned by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Beijing, sparked fears among Western powers that the Solomons could provide China with a new foothold in the Pacific.

Sogavare skips ceremony

US diplomat Russell Corneau, the interim representative in Honiara, said the American embassy would "serve as a key platform" between his government and the Solomons.

Blinken added that the reopening "builds on our efforts to place more diplomatic personnel throughout the region and engage further with our Pacific neighbours".

Sogavare did not attend the opening ceremony, but foreign affairs secretary Colin Beck said the embassy's reopening was "welcomed by the government and people of the Solomon Islands".