By Ofani Eremae and Gina Maka’a

A Chinese government feasibility study team is scheduled to enter Malaita for the first time next month to conduct a major tar-sealing road project for provincial capital Auki.

Provincial premier Martin Fini announced this today in a statement the Office of the Prime Minister issued, after documents for the Auki Road Tar Sealing Project for Malaita were signed in Honiara.

East Malaita MP and Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga and China’s new ambassador to Solomon Islands Cai Weiming signed the documents.

“The road network in Malaita plays a vital role in connecting the population by improving transport services and providing access to markets, education, economic and health services,” Fini said.

“This project is indeed a Christmas blessing for my province and people who have been suffering the poor road conditions in and around Auki over the years,” he added.

“This project once completed will provide safe, quality and reliable road infrastructure for our capital township and other surrounding communities.”

Fini said Malaita needs further investment in transformative infrastructures to support its major projects such as the Bina Harbour Tuna Processing Plant, Suava Economic Growth Centre, Malu’u CEMA Buying Centre and other socio-economic development projects around the province. 

“Road infrastructure holds the key to connect these development projects which will lead to transformation of the local economies,” he said.

Today’s statement does not spell out the total cost of the tar-sealing road project or how much China is injecting into it.

In July this year, Prime Minister Minister Manasseh Sogavare announced that the Government has allocated $10 million for the project. China was not mentioned then as a co-funder.

In October, the Government issued another statement announcing China as a partner in the project after Maelanga signed an agreement with Ding Yonghua, charge’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Honiara.

This tar-sealing road project is a major breakthrough for China, which has been blocked from entering Malaita by the last government of Daniel Suidani.

Under Suidani’s MARA Government, China and its associate companies were prevented from funding any projects or doing business in Malaita.

This stand was taken in the Auki Communique, a policy document the MARA government produced after Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare controversially switched the country’s diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China in September 2019.

Suidani accused Sogavare of failing to consult the provinces about the switch, and saw China as a communist nation with different value systems to that of Malaita and Solomon Islands.

As a result of all the political chaos between Suidani’s MARA government and the national government Suidani was removed from his Premier seat in a third motion of no confidence against him and his MARA government

Martin Fini was installed premier in February this year, and quickly moved to discard the Auki Communique.

Fini’s decision opened the door for China to make its way into Malaita finally.

“This is exactly what Sogavare and his DCGA government wanted to see,” an observer who requested not to be named, said.

“But in this particular case, I see it more as political than developmental. You know, the elections are coming and this government wanted to make an impression in Malaita,” the observer added.

Life of the current parliament ends on 31 December 2023.

National elections are expected in mid April next year.