World News | Australia donates rifles to Solomon Islands amid China tensions

Canberra [Australia]Nov 2 (ANI): Australia on Wednesday announced the donation of dozens of semi-automatic rifles to the Solomon Islands, which is battling regional rival China for influence.

The Australian Federal Police said the handover of 60 Daniels Defence MK18 rifles and 13 police vehicles was part of an ongoing rearmament programme that would help the South Pacific archipelago “counter criminal threats and maintain peace and stability”.

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Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Australian Commissioner Lachlan Strahan, who attended the donation ceremony, said the donation represented another milestone in the long-standing security and policing partnership between the two countries.

“We stand together through thick and thin. As Prime Minister Sogavare said, our partnership is based on our shared responsibility to ensure that our region remains peaceful, prosperous and stable,” Strahan said.

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“Australia and Solomon Islands’ security cooperation is multifaceted and includes not only policing but also defence, border security, justice and non-traditional security threats. Australia’s support is fast, direct and responsive,” he added.

The Solomon Islands, consisting of the six main islands and more than 900 small islands in Oceania, are heavily dependent on foreign aid. The country struck a security deal with China last year that also provided it with police equipment, prompting Australia to scramble to counter Beijing’s influence.

Solomon Islands Opposition Leader Matthew Weir slammed Australia for “sucking” Prime Minister Sogavare on social media and questioned the purpose of supplying a country with no external enemies with high-powered rifles.

A deadly wave of anti-government protests in the Solomon Islands in 2021 led to the deployment of peacekeepers in Australia and New Zealand. Their troops will be in the country until the end of 2023. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)