The Solomon Islands hold legislative elections on Wednesday. The main countries affected by this election are China and Australia.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare turned his back on Taiwan to recognize China. Beijing has notably built a state-of-the-art medical center and a stadium that can accommodate 10,000 spectators. Former Western allies fear that the Solomon Islands could become another Chinese military base in the Pacific. The opposition would like to break the growing influence of the Asian giant. " Over the past five years, China has been involved in many cases. It's really worrying at the moment," Daniel Sogarave, the opposition leader, says. The outgoing prime minister has repeatedly denied that his powerful ally posed a threat. On the contrary, he promised to strengthen relations with Beijing if he was re-elected. He considers himself a "passionate nationalist" who believes that the sovereignty of the country requires an alliance with China.