US officials urge ‘caution’ as Solomon Islands consider cutting Taiwan ties

US officials have warned the Solomon Islands to be wary of Chinese “funding promises” and not to be pressed into cutting ties with Taiwan, Reuters reported.

The US warnings were made this week in the Solomons capital of Honiara, on the island of Guadacanal, in comments to reporters. Several of the island nation’s senior lawmakers had said earlier they wanted to switch their diplomatic links to Beijing from Taiwan.

The South Pacific has become a diplomatic stronghold for Taiwan, with six island nation allies, a third of all countries that recognize Taiwan. The US officials did not explicitly call for the retention of the Taiwan alliance, but they urged caution, according to the report.

The Solomons, a former British protectorate, an archipelago of just over 600,000 people, has been investigating a possible switch in ties since a general election in April.