China's foreign ministry told CNN that the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Solomon Islands had been "open and fair." The Solomon Islands had stayed loyal even as China's checkbook diplomacy in the strategically important region prompted Pacific neighbors to switch allegiances. CNN reached out to China's foreign ministry and the Solomon Islands central government for comment. Mike Pence, the vice president of the United States, reportedly canceled plans to meet the ​Solomon Islands' Prime Minister ​last September. In October 2019, a month after the Solomon Islands agreed to switch allegiances, Beijing promised the Solomon Islands 74 million Australian dollars ($54 million) for the stadium.

Source: CNN September 18, 2020 00:03 UTC