The Solomon Islands prime minister has pushed back on Australia's attempts to extract strategic concessions from his country in return for a $190 million policing package announced late last year, saying officials are trying to hammer out a "compromise" on the issue.
In an exclusive interview, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele spoke to the ABC's The Pacific program in Honiara this week — the first time a sitting Solomon Islands leader has sat down with the ABC in almost six years.
In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Manele discussed his first year in office after replacing the enigmatic Manasseh Sogavare as the Pacific nation's leader, highlighting the key economic and strategic issues facing Solomon Islands.
He also weighed in on the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement, labelling it "regrettable".
Speaking on the ambitious $190 million policing package Australia is providing to expand the Pacific nation's police force and build a major new police training centre in Honiara announced just before Christmas, the prime minister said officials were still locked in negotiations over a memorandum of understanding to implement it.
Australia has rolled out the initiative as it tries to entrench its position as the country's key security partner and stop China from expanding its policing presence in Solomon Islands under controversial security and police agreements struck in 2022 and 2023.
One Solomon Islands government source told the ABC that Australia was trying to use the agreement to force China out of policing cooperation and training in Solomon Islands.
When announcing the package last year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to say whether Australia had pressed Solomon Islands to cap or reduce the number of Chinese police in the country, but said the agreement would "[make] sure that Australia remains the security partner of choice" for Honiara.
Mr Manele told the ABC there were "one or two differences" between Australia and Solomon Islands over the "language" in the agreement, although he didn't spell out what they were.
"I hope we'll find some compromise in terms of language and conclude negotiations," he said.
But he also emphasised that the agreement would need to be endorsed by his cabinet before it could become a reality, and stressed that Solomon Islands should "take the lead" on its own policing decisions.
"Caucus and cabinet will have the final say as far as our side is concerned," he told the ABC.
"It's important for us to take the lead. It's important for us to be in the driver's seat."
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the ABC that Australia was "Solomon Islands' partner of choice — with the largest development and security cooperation programs in Solomon Islands, and substantial infrastructure cooperation, economic and people-to-people links."
"Negotiations are underway on a MOU on implementation and governance arrangements. This discussion is ongoing," they said.
Trump's 'unfortunate' position
Mr Manele also took aim at Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement on climate change, calling it "regrettable" and damaging.
"It will affect global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as global efforts to mobilise financing to address the impacts of climate change," he said.
"[It's] very unfortunate because it will be countries in the Pacific including Solomon Islands, we're the ones that will suffer disproportionately.
"We're the ones least responsible for climate change [but] we face the brunt of climate change. So it's unfortunate the US has taken that position."
World War II bombs a 'serious problem'
Mr Manele also raised concerns over the Trump administration’s sweeping aid cuts to USAID and State Department development programs around the globe, with the impact being felt in Solomon Islands.
Mr Manele said he was worried about losing US support for a program that contributes to safely defusing unexploded shells and bombs that still litter Solomon Islands after lethal battles between the US and Japan during World War II.
"It's a serious problem for us in this country [and] it's a serious impediment to development … we've experienced a number of lives being lost to unexploded ordinance," he said.
He also suggested that he might approach other countries already funding programs to remove ordinance -- including Australia, New Zealand and Japan -- to help plug the gap.
A DFAT spokesperson said it was currently "undertaking an assessment of current needs in our region following the USAID announcements."
"This assessment is being informed with partner governments, NGOs and the United States," they said.
