It is claimed that a July 2022 draft funding proposal from the Solomon Star to China's embassy in Honiara in which the paper requested $SBD1,150,000 (about $US137,000) for equipment including a replacement for its aging newspaper printer and a broadcast tower for its radio station, PAOA FM was approved and it old equipment received and is in use
The Solomon Star said in the proposal that decrepit equipment was causing editions to come out late and "curtailing news flow about China's generous and lightning economic and infrastructure development in Solomon Islands". The document shows the Chinese embassy had initially offered $SBD350,000 in 2021, but revised this number upward in recognition of the newspaper's needs.
In total, the proposal contained roughly a dozen separate pledges to use the Chinese-funded equipment to promote China's "goodwill" and role as "the most generous and trusted development partner" in Solomon Islands.
Alfred Sasako said the newspaper maintained its independence. He said any suggestion it had a pro-Beijing bias was "a figment of the imagination of anyone who is trying to demonise China".
Mr., Sasako said the paper had tried unsuccessfully for more than a decade to get assistance from Australia's embassy in the country. Other Western countries, such as the United States, had neglected Solomon Islands for decades and were only now showing interest because of anxiety over Chinese influence, he added.
Comment
I suggest that if China wants to continue in promoting its soft power in the region, but particularly in the Solomon Islands, then it should devote its attention with financial support in seeing all the sick children at the NRH suffering from heart ailments and especially those known to have rheumatic heart disease are given the chance of being flown offshore for medical treatment to hospitals providing the specialist medical treatment and care still unavailable in the Solomon Islands.
Linking financial backing for a SI's newspaper given the need for an independent free press is not the way to go and will not result in attaining the hearts and minds of the community at large, but seeing to the sick, aged and disabled in society is considered, at least in my way of thinking, how a development partner should act.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
