Former China hawk elected Solomon Islands' leader

Lawmakers in the Solomon Islands' have picked a long-time opposition figure as prime minister, a week after ousting their former pro-China leader in a non-confidence vote.

Matthew Wale promised "change" after winning a parliamentary vote on Friday, noting that the South Pacific island has not been "immune from the impasse of geopolitical events".

"These changes are necessary and may be painful. I ask that you join with your government by putting your hand to the plough," the 57-year-old said.

A fiery politician who's led the opposition for nearly a decade, Wale had strongly opposed a security pact his country signed with China, but his stance has softened over the years.

The deal signed in 2022 – a few years after the Solomon Islands dropped its decades-long diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in favour of Beijing – allows China to deploy police and military personnel in the island nation.

Over the years, the Solomon Islands has strengthened its ties with China, even as Australia continues to be the island's largest aid donor.

The security agreement set off alarm bells for Australia and other Pacific neighbours, who feared it could lead to a permanent Chinese base in the region.

Wale claimed at the time that "a majority [of Solomon Islanders] do not want China here at all in the first place", but his bid to remove then-prime minister Manasseh Sogavare failed.

In 2024, lawmakers elected another pro-China candidate, Jeremiah Manele, to succeed Sogavare.

However, Manele was toppled last week after losing a no confidence motion in parliament following months of political uncertainty and public frustration over rising costs of living.

By the end of March this year, 12 ministers in Manele's administration had resigned and defected to the opposition.

Wale, who won today's vote in a 26-22 count against former foreign minister Peter Shanel Agovaka, urged Solomon Islanders to hold the new government accountable.

"When we act as if we are your lords, please remind us we are your servants," he said.

Connor Graham, a research fellow at Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands Program, does not expect any major shift in the Solomon Islands' foreign policy – even though Canberra and other Western allies would welcome Wale's election, he says.

Graham noted that Wale had moderated his stance on Beijing in recent years, calling for "balanced international engagement", and that he has not pledged to call of the pact.

"Chinese infrastructure is embedded. China is also critical to Solomon Islands economy as a major export destination, and now, thanks to the security pact, its military and police are increasingly integrated," Graham wrote in a commentary published today.

"What changes under Wale is tone, transparency and openness to traditional partners. What doesn't change is the structural weight of seven years of Chinese investment," he added.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Wale, saying in an X post that he looks forward to "working together to continue strengthening our economic, development and security partnership".

Chinese state media reported on Wale's election but Beijing authorities have not officially commented on it.