The Solomon Islands has suspended all visits from the United States Navy, the US embassy in Canberra said Tuesday, heightening concerns over the growing influence of China in the region.

"The United States received formal notification from the Government of Solomon Islands regarding a moratorium on all naval visits, pending updates in protocol procedures," an embassy spokeswoman said in a statement.

It comes a week after Washington said a coast guard ship was denied permission to refuel in the Solomons capital of Honiara.

"The United States is disappointed that the US Coast Guard ship was not able to make this planned stop in Honiara," the statement said.

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation."

The US Navy hospital ship Mercy had been allowed to dock Monday as part of a humanitarian mission to the country -- but the embassy noted it had received clearance before the moratorium was put in place.

It was unclear whether the suspension also applied to other navies, including close partner Australia.

Australia's foreign affairs department has been contacted for comment.

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Solomon Islands threatens to ban foreign journalists
Honiara (AFP) Aug 25, 2022
The Solomon Islands has threatened to ban or deport foreign journalists for "disrespectful and demeaning" coverage, fuelling concerns about democratic backsliding in the Pacific nation as its alliance with China deepens. In a lengthy statement castigating recent media coverage, the office of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Wednesday accused Western journalists of trying to "engineer regime change". It also accused the media of "containing China and spreading anti-China sentiments", while rai ... read more