Question: Recently, Australian media reported that an Australian think-tank had released a report which alleged that the Chinese government has been running a disinformation campaign to gain more influence on Solomon Islands. The report also found that both positive comments about China and negative sentiments on the West are rising on Solomon Islands social media. What is your comment?

Embassy spokesperson: Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Solomon Islands, the two countries have witnessed an enduring and deepening relations featuring growing mutual trust and common interests, with the road of bilateral cooperation opening even wider. When conducting mutually beneficial cooperation with Solomon Islands, China always follows the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and upholding justice while pursuing shared interests. At the request of Solomon Islands, China provided infrastructure and anti-COVID assistance to the best of its capacity with practical, efficient and tangible cooperation outcomes. Those aid programs and projects were well received by the government and people of Solomon Islands. People can tell right from wrong. The peoples of two countries have final say in China-Solomon Island relations, and are best positioned to make positive comments on mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

Disinformation campaigns were made up and engineered exclusively by a few western countries. China has won hearts and minds of Solomon Islands among pacific islands nations because of its sincere, hard and sustained efforts in helping out local communities. Certain individuals are urged to drop ideological prejudice, stop smearing and disinformation campaign, while making more good efforts for the benefits of pacific islands people .