The US plans to re-establish an embassy in the Solomon Islands, a senior State Department official said, as Washington seeks to beef up its presence in a region where China is rapidly expanding its influence.
The United States closed its embassy in the Solomons Island capital in 1993 and is now represented by a consulate there, with an embassy in the Papua New Guinea capital of Port Moresby.
According to US officials, China has made a particular push to gain influence and a presence in a number of island countries in the region.China said in December it would send police advisors and riot gear to the Solomon Islands as foreign peacekeepers began leaving the Pacific nation after being deployed during the deadly protests.
China baulks at any official exchanges between other countries and self-ruled Taiwan, which it sees as its own territory awaiting reunification. A diplomat at the US embassy in Port Moresby said the reopening of the mission in the Solomons Islands would build on US efforts to place more diplomatic staff throughout the region.