Big Trouble in Little Chinatown: Australia, Taiwan and the April 2006 Post-Election Riot in Solomon Islands

Abstract

South Pacific has emerged as a source of contention between two key Asia-Pacific middle powers, Australia and Taiwan. Taiwan 's effort to maintain and expand the list of countries with which it has formal diplomatic relations, in the face of hostility from China, has clashed with Australia's governance reform agenda for the Pacific Islands. This conflict is particularly acute in Solomon Islands, which has longstanding ties with Taiwan and a close association with Australia. However, while this divergence of interests is real, Australia has fuelled this conflict through imputing Taiwan for Australia's difficulties in an apparent attempt to avoid acknowledging the ambitious nature of Australia's agenda relative to the political, economic and social conditions in Solomon Islands. This inclination to make Taiwan a scapegoat brought about sustained public Australian criticism of Taiwan following the April 2006 post-election riot in the Solomon Islands, based on little more than the unsubstantiated claims of a single Solomon Islands politician. This episode inflicted serious harm on Taiwan's reputation in Australia. The incident also contributed to the Chen Shui-bian Taiwan government's perception of Australia as being increasingly pro-China. This article draws on local media and interviews conducted in Australia, Solomon Islands and Taiwan to analyze the development of this recent Australia-Taiwan conflict in Solomon Islands. First, it provides a brief background of Australia's and Taiwan's involvement in the South Pacific, followed by an examination of Taiwan's role in the Solomon Islands Crisis and the subsequent Australian-led intervention. It then discusses the involvement of the Australian and Taiwan governments in the events