US Cable: China ‘Replica’ Guns for Solomon Islands Likely Real

Facts

• According to a US cable obtained by Al Jazeera, China's shipment of 'replica' weapons to the Solomon Islands last year was likely genuine firearms.¹
• While the Islands claimed China sent 95 replica rifles and 92 replica pistols that weren't capable of firing any live munitions,' the cable — acquired through a freedom of information request — says US officials allege the guns 'appeared real' and 'had unique serial numbers.'¹
• Meanwhile, Solomon Islands police commissioner Mostyn Mangau claims that the weapons were replicas for 'training aides.'²
• In the cable, written out of the embassy in nearby Papua New Guinea, officials cited an unnamed source who said, 'The weapons appeared real in every way, including in weight and mechanics.' In another cable, US diplomats claimed Solomon Islands PM Manasseh Sogavare was seeking closer ties with China.¹
• The shipment came the same year Australia donated 60 AR-15 rifles to the Islands — a move Solomon Islands opposition leader Matthew Wale alleged was an effort to counter Beijing.³
• The Islands — home to roughly 700K people — signed an agreement last year to boost their security cooperation with China despite protests by the US, Australia, and New Zealand.¹

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²The telegraph and ³Msn.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global times. Strengthening ties with China is the right decision for the Solomon Islands, as China understands from its own experience the developmental needs of Pacific nations and respects the equality of all countries. In contrast, the US and some of its regional allies are driven by a cold war mentality, with Washington taking a zero-sum approach to foreign policy and seeking to expand relations with Pacific nations primarily to contain China.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by The diplomat. With his decision to move the Solomon Islands even closer to the PRC, Sogavare is leading the island nation, located in a strategically important region, into an uncertain future. Not without reason, Beijing's efforts to forge closer ties with other Pacific governments have so far largely failed. To expand its regional influence, China is aggressively trying to drag the small Pacific nations into its sphere of influence, but regional leaders are resisting and opting for the US.

Predictions