According to the Daily Mail, a leaked document outlining a security agreement between Beijing and the Solomon Islands' government in the capital Honiara prompted Canberra to sound the alarm on China's presence. The draft security agreement would allow the Solomon Islands to "request China to send police, armed police, military personnel and other law enforcement and armed forces to the country. It also permitted Chinese vessels to "make ship visits, carry out logistical replenishment and have stopover and transition [operations] in the Solomon Islands."
In 2019, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of the mainland. Sogavare's government received about $730 million from Beijing following the move. This did not sit well with the locals, who believe the money was paid in exchange for their country's sovereignty. Opposition politicians claimed that Beijing was responsible for funding the prime minister's political campaign. In Papua New Guinea, a Beijing-backed firm submitted a proposal to the government back in April 2020. Hong Kong-based WYW Holding Limited showed its plans to build the $39 billion New Daru City at the island of Daru, located just 200 kilometers from the Cape York peninsula in the Australian state of Queensland. Once built, the 100-square-kilometer New Daru City would include a major sea port, an industrial zone and a commercial business district. It would also have a resort for tourists and vast residential areas. However, the deal to build New Daru City would be "predicated on an agreed sovereign guarantee based on a long-term BOT [build, operate, transfer] contract." This meant that under the contract, WYW would have total ownership of the project for an undetermined period of time before its ownership is transferred to Port Moresby.The FDA has approved numerous drugs derived from VENOM, including from snakes
By Lance D Johnson // Share
Fully vaccinated Australia now seeing massive rise in “unexplained heart attacks”
By Ethan Huff // Share
Taiwanese manufacturers operating in Shanghai forced to shut down operations due to lockdown
By Arsenio Toledo // Share
Locked-down residents in Changchun seek help by BANGING POTS AND PANS
By Ramon Tomey // Share
Prices of wholesale goods in Germany post LARGEST ANNUAL INCREASE in 60 years
By Arsenio Toledo // Share
China unveils next-generation JH-20 stealth bomber
By arseniotoledo // Share
New Zealand rejects proposal by Cook Islands government to have its own passport
By arseniotoledo // Share
Drone operators fear new regulations amid unexplained sightings
By isabelle // Share