SYDNEY ¨C New Zealand said on Monday it will dispatch defense personnel, helicopters and a naval ship to the Solomon Islands to assist in a national election due next month, where relations with China will be a key issue.
The deployment is part of a 10.8 million New Zealand dollar ($6.48 million) support program for the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission announced in January and that will help transport election officers and materials around Pacific Island nations.
New Zealand¡¯s foreign ministry said the vessel HMNZS Canterbury will leave Auckland on Tuesday to transport two helicopters and crew, along with command and maintenance personnel to the Solomon Islands¡¯ capital Honiara.
¡°New Zealand¡¯s overall contribution will support the Commission to lead the delivery of a safe and successful election,¡± Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
¡°It demonstrates New Zealand¡¯s commitment to a resilient democracy in Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific region.¡±
The Solomon Islands is a key ally of China, and closer ties with Beijing following the election of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in 2019 have alarmed the United States and Australia, and set off a race for influence in the strategically-located Pacific Islands.
At least one opposition politician, however, has called for a security pact with China to be reviewed and has said that he would seek to re-establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan, according to media reports. Another politician has said he would ask the people to decide on the Solomon Islands¡¯ relations with China via a referendum.
The country said in September a contingent of Australian police first deployed in 2021 to quell anti-government riots would stay on in the country until after the election.
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