Editing Politics of Solomon Islands (section)

===2021 unrest===
[[File:蔡英文總統接見索羅門群島總理蘇嘉瓦瑞伉儷訪華團.jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[Manasseh Sogavare]] with [[Taiwanese President]] [[Tsai Ing-wen]] in July 2016]]

{{main|2021 Solomon Islands unrest}}
In 2019, the central government under Prime Minister [[Manasseh Sogavare]] withdrew recognition of the [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]] and established relations with the mainland [[China|People's Republic of China]]. [[Malaita Province]], however, continued to be supported by Taiwan and the [[United States]], the latter sending US$25 million of aid to the island in 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|date=15 October 2020|title=China convinced the Solomons to switch allegiances. Its one rebel province is now in line for $35m in US aid|language=en-AU|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-16/us-aid-increase-solomon-islands-china-independence-malaita/12765310|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> The premier of Malaita Province, [[Daniel Suidani]], also held an independence referendum in 2020 which the national government has dismissed as illegitimate.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Kaye|first1=Ron|last2=Packham|first2=Colin|date=25 November 2021|title=Australia to deploy police, military to Solomon Islands as protests spread|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/solomon-islands-enters-36-hour-lockdown-after-protests-turn-violent-2021-11-25/|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> Rising unemployment and poverty, worsened by the border closure during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], have also been cited as a cause of the unrest.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-27|title=Three killed in Solomon Islands unrest, burnt bodies found in Chinatown|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3157584/solomon-islands-unrest-three-killed-honiaras-chinatown-burnt-bodies-found|access-date=2021-11-27|website=South China Morning Post|language=en}}</ref> Chinese businesses were also accused of giving jobs to foreigners instead of locals.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2021-11-26|title=Solomon Islands violence recedes but not underlying tension|url=https://apnews.com/article/china-violence-australia-riots-race-and-ethnicity-3787313a6a1f8b863427b066b0dcbbaa|access-date=2021-11-27|website=AP NEWS|language=en}}</ref>

The protests were initially peaceful,<ref name=":02021">{{Cite web|date=25 November 2021|title=Police use tear gas in Solomon Islands - Taipei Times|url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2021/11/25/2003768486|access-date=25 November 2021|website=[[Taipei Times]]}}</ref> but turned violent on 24 November 2021 after buildings adjoining the [[Solomon Islands Parliament Building]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lagan|first=Bernard|title=Solomon Islands protesters burn parliament and Chinese shops in anti-Beijing riots|language=en|newspaper=[[The Times]]|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/solomon-islands-protestors-burn-parliament-and-chinese-shops-in-anti-beijing-riots-005n69hhr|access-date=25 November 2021|issn=0140-0460}}</ref> were burnt down. Schools and businesses were closed down as police and government forces clashed with protesters. Violence escalated as [[Honiara|Honiara's]] [[Chinatown, Honiara|Chinatown]] was looted.<ref>{{Cite news|date=25 November 2021|title=Solomon Islands: Australia sends peacekeeping troops amid riots|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59412000|access-date=25 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia sending troops to Solomon Islands as protests spread|url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1977914435906|publisher=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> Most of the protesters came from [[Malaita Province]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=McGuirk|first=David Rising and Rod|date=25 November 2021|title=Australia sending troops, police to Solomon Islands amid unrest|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/australia-sending-troops-police-to-solomon-islands-amid-unrest-1.5680669|access-date=25 November 2021|website=[[CTV News]]|language=en|archive-date=25 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125170343/https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/australia-sending-troops-police-to-solomon-islands-amid-unrest-1.5680669|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=25 November 2021|title=Australia sends troops and police to Solomon Islands as unrest grows|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/25/honiaras-chinatown-targeted-as-violent-protests-break-out-for-second-day-in-solomon-islands|access-date=25 November 2021|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en}}</ref>

[[Australia]] responded to the unrest by deploying [[Australian Federal Police]] and [[Australian Defence Force]] personnel following a request from the Sogavare government under the [[Australia–Solomon Islands Bilateral Security Treaty]].<ref name=Andrews>{{cite press release |last=Andrews |first=Karen |date=25 November 2021 |title=Joint media release - Solomon Islands |url=https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/KarenAndrews/Pages/joint-media-release-solomon-islands.aspx |location= Canberra|publisher=Australian Government |access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> [[Papua New Guinea]], [[Fiji]] and [[New Zealand]] also sent peacekeepers.<ref name="AFPviaF24">{{cite news |title=Riots rock Solomon Islands capital for third day despite peacekeepers |url=https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20211126-riots-rock-solomons-islands-capital-again-despite-australian-troop-deployment |access-date=27 November 2021 |agency=Agence France-Presse |via=France 24 |date=26 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-29|title=Fiji sends 50 peacekeepers to Solomon Islands|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/fiji-sends-50-peacekeepers-to-solomon-islands|access-date=2021-11-29|website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref>