Reflection on SI, Taiwan & China

     As the pro-Chinese emphatically exclaimed “Its China”, Island Sun headline last Tuesday said it all; “September 16 – A sad day”.  Yes, I agree, it’s a sad day indeed.      A relationship that we worked hard together to develop over nearly four decades had abruptly disappeared, taken away by a government that…

REGIONAL REFLECTIONS

TESS NEWTON CAIN* Civil society voices concern about West Papua   CIVIL society groups are voicing their concerns about the situation in West Papua. Across the region, there have been numerous displays of support for self-determination for West Papuans and calls for action to protect human rights.  This comes as the Indonesian authorities have deployed…

Obstacle to economic growth

DEAR EDITOR – In 2016, the former Managing Director and World Bank Group Chief Financial Officer, Joaquim Levy, wrote about the gap he perceived in private investment.   Although he was then writing in general terms, there were several paragraphs in his article I thought relevant to the situation in the Solomon Islands at that time.…

Taiwan China debate

DEAR EDITOR – The current strong support and intention of most of our MPs fordiplomatic switch from Taiwan to China only reflect poorly on the leadership that lackedintegrity, wisdom, maturity and visionary mindsets that blinded by false assumptions and self-beneficial interests at the cost of tax payers and resource owners in this nation. This nation…

Taiwan or China?

DEAR EDITOR – Please publish the following: Taiwan or China? Which one would you chose? The choice is in your hand Dragon, or bull or what? They are all animals and they might not be tamable but we all need animals for meat, milk and soup Which one will you prefer? The ball is in…

Exporting fresh orchids

DEAR EDITOR – With the increasing success of kava as a cash crop rewarding kava farmers with much needed income and the reported success of chocolate sales and coconut related products, I often wonder why the Solomon Islands has not developed a fresh flower market, particularly the cultivation and export of orchids. Floriculture has emerged…