Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., a member of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), along with Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, R-American Samoa, held discussions with officials and leaders in the Solomon Islands. This visit is particularly significant given the heightened increase in aggressive actions by the CCP, according to an Aug. 16 news release.
"Like a viper slithering around its prey, the CCP is coiling around Solomon Islands in hopes of tightening their grip on the Indo-Pacific region," Dunn said in the release. "This is very similar to the power plays Imperial Japan made leading up to WWII. Standing at the war memorial at Guadalcanal reminded me how imperative it is that we rein in the CCP before history repeats itself. We must preserve our relationships with our friends in Solomon Islands to ensure the Indo-Pacific remains stable and peaceful."
During the trip, the lawmakers made multiple stops and engaged with numerous officials as part of their commitment to pursuing peace, the release reported. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, they were unable to have a meeting with the prime minister. However, they did hold meetings with the Honorable Matthew Wale, Peter Kenilorea, personnel from USAID and others.
They also paid a visit to the National Referral Hospital, engaging with its leadership to discuss U.S. medical diplomacy. Another significant meeting was with family of Daniel Siudani, a "pro-American leader and democracy advocate who was forced to flee the country after persecution from the government." Additionally, they visited the Coastwatchers memorial in Honiara, which holds importance as Radewagen's father had been associated with the coastwatchers as a young U.S. Army officer, according to the release.
Recently, the CCP intensified its aggressive actions both in the Indo-Pacific region and on a global scale. It has employed strategies of "military and economic coercion" to instill fear in neighboring countries, jeopardize maritime conditions, and foster instability in regions surrounding the People’s Republic of China, according to the U.S. Department of State.
"As the Chinese Communist Party seeks to export its influence across the globe, Solomon Islands cannot be overlooked," Select Committee on the CCP Chairman Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., said in the release. "The same geographic logic that etched places like Guadalcanal into the American memory still holds true today. We must work with our traditional friends in Solomon Islands to protect our common values and ensure peace, stability and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific."
“Solomon Islands were strategically important in World War II, for the generations since, and certainly still today. It was a special honor to help lay a wreath at the Guadalcanal American Memorial and think of these heroes who left us a legacy of freedom that we cannot fail to uphold,” Amata said in the release. “My father, the late Peter Tali Coleman, served in these waters and islands as a young U.S. Army officer in support of the Coastwatchers, who reported on enemy activity at great risk to their lives. Dad told us about serving aboard the USS Echo, a U.S. Navy schooner assigned to the U.S. Army, which took Coastwatchers to and from their stations. Now, 81 years later, we must remain strongly committed to the Pacific region and keep working with Solomon Islands to preserve peace and security."
