MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd November, 2022) Australia announced on Wednesday the donation of dozens of semiautomatic rifles to the Solomon Islands where it is competing for influence with regional rival China.
The Australian Federal Police said the handover of 60 Daniels Defense MK18 rifles and 13 police vehicles was part of an ongoing rearmament program and would help the South Pacific archipelago nation "counter criminal threats and maintain peace and stability."
The gifting ceremony was attended by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Australia's commissioner Lachlan Strahan, who said the donation represented another landmark in the longstanding security and policing partnership between the two nations.
"Australia and Solomon Islands' security cooperation is multifaceted, spanning not just policing, but also defense, border security, justice and non-traditional security threats," Strahan said.
The Solomon Islands rely heavily on foreign aid. The country struck a security deal with China last year, which also supplied it with police gear, prompting Australia to scramble to counter what it called Beijing's destabilizing influence.
Solomon Islands opposition leader Matthew Wale criticized Australia on social media for "sucking up" to Prime Minister Sogavare and questioned the purpose of giving high-power rifles to a nation that has no external enemies.
The Solomon Islands saw a wave of deadly anti-government protests last year that led Australia and New Zealand to deploy peacekeepers. Their troops will be stationed in the country until the end of 2023. A general election is scheduled for 2024.
