Peter Kenilorea Jr Photo: Facebook / Peter Kenilorea
The Solomon Islands' United Party has promised to reassess the country's security deal with China if they get into government.
The Solomon Islands and China signed a security cooperation agreement in April 2022, which had take alarmed Honiara's traditional partners Australia, New Zealand and the United States and raised fears that the deal could open the door to a Chinese naval base in the region.
The Solomon Star newspaper reports Peter Kenilorea Jr, the United Party's political wing leader, saying the security pact signed with Beijing created unnecessary tension.
At the time, Kenilorea Jr told RNZ Pacific that pact "will just further inflame emotions and tensions".
"efinitely a certain segment of the society will now feel even more concerned and might want to start to take certain action which is not in the best interest of Solomon Islands in our own unity as a country," he had said in reaction to the two nations signing the pact.
On Wednesday, he told Solomon Star that one way to lessen the tension is to get rid of the agreement.
Keniloera Jr said the party is not advocating to remove China as a development partner, but to invite more embassies to Honiara and to reconnect with Taiwan.
The Solomons' joint election is set to be held on 17 April.