US delegate says Solomon Islands PM was too ‘busy’ to meet him

Congressman Neal Dunn, part of select committee on competition with China, says failure to meet Manasseh Sogavare was a missed opportunity'

Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare declined a request this week to meet members of a high-profile US congressional delegation who are focused on competition with China.

The visit to Solomon Islands by representatives from the US select committee on the Chinese Communist party comes amid a growing struggle for influence between the US and China in the Pacific region. Last year, Solomon Islands signed a controversial security pact with the Chinese government and in July, the prime minister agreed a new deal on police cooperation while on a trip to Beijing.