Solomon Islands elects former China critic Wale as prime minister

By Alasdair Pal

SYDNEY, May 15 (Reuters) – Solomon Islands parliament on Friday elected opposition leader Matthew Wale as prime minister, after incumbent Jeremiah Manele was ousted from power last week in a no-confidence vote.

Wale defeated Peter Shanel Agovaka by 26 votes to 22 in a ballot of the country’s members of parliament, Governor General Sir David Tiva Kapu, who acts as a representative of the country’s head of state, Britain’s King Charles, told a news conference.

“We take government at a difficult time, given what is happening throughout the world,” Wale said after his election.

“We are not immune from the impacts of these geopolitical events.”

Located 1,600 km (1,000 miles) northeast of Australia, the strategic importance of Solomon Islands has been in focus in recent years due to its strengthening ties with China. In 2022, it signed a security pact with China that prompted concern from the United States and South Pacific neighbours.

Wale was highly critical of the deal, saying it would affect regional security and could jeopardise relationships with existing partners, but in recent years he has made attempts to thaw ties with China.

In 2025, he led a delegation to Beijing, where he praised China’s economic development and said his party supported the one-China principle, according to a readout of the visit provided by the Communist Party of China.

“Congratulations to Matthew Wale, on being appointed Prime Minister of Solomon Islands. I look forward to working together to continue strengthening our economic, development and security partnership,” Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a post on X.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Praveen Menon and Stephen Coates)