When America Has A Weak President, Bad Things Happen

On Tuesday (updated Wednesday), The Epoch Times reported that the Solomon Islands have suspended all visits by American naval ships.

The article reports:

The Solomon Islands has informed U.S. authorities that all naval visits have been suspended until further notice following an earlier incident on Aug. 23 when a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, was denied permission for a scheduled port call.

The incident comes amid mounting concerns about Beijing’s influence in the region and Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s moves to deepen ties with the Chinese regime while solidifying his hold on power.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Canberra: “On Aug. 29, the United States received formal notification from the Government of the Solomon Islands regarding a moratorium on all naval visits, pending updates in protocol procedures.”

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

The freeze on naval visits comes after the Oliver Henry wrapped up its part in Operation Island Chief to monitor and prevent illegal fishing activity in the region—an ongoing issue with Chinese fishing fleets. Operation Island Chief was conducted in conjunction with members of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), including Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.

Oliver Henry was supposed to stop in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on Aug. 23 for refuelling and re-provisioning but received no response from Solomons authorities. Subsequently, the crew were diverted to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

The article concludes:

The Solomons was the site of extensive fighting during World War II in the decisive Battle for Guadalcanal that resulted in six months of fighting and 1,600 Allied casualties.

Prime Minister Sogavare did not make an appearance at the 80th anniversary of the Battle despite attendance from Japan’s Defence Minister Makoto Oniki, U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

We are losing (or have lost) our influence in the Pacific Rim. Hopefully, Americans will elect a President in 2024 that can undo the damage.