Relationship dossier
Solomon Islands
United States
Relationship assessment
Growing U.S.–Solomon Islands engagement amid friction over China’s regional role
Solomon Islands toward United States
+15Solomon Islands entered a Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold program with the United States, supporting bilateral development cooperation. Its security agreement with China has nevertheless raised U.S. concerns about regional security.
United States toward Solomon Islands
+30The United States established a Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold program with Solomon Islands and reopened its embassy in Honiara, expanding development and diplomatic engagement. Washington has also expressed concern about Solomon Islands’ security agreement with China.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship combines expanding U.S. development and diplomatic engagement with strategic friction related to Solomon Islands’ security agreement with China. The bilateral development program provides a concrete basis for cooperation, while the overall scope and durability of engagement remain uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Solomon Islands and the United States have expanded development and diplomatic engagement, including a U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold program and the reopening of the U.S. embassy in Honiara. Relations have also faced friction over Solomon Islands’ security agreement with China and Washington’s concerns about its regional implications. The breadth and implementation of bilateral cooperation remain unclear.
Areas of tension
- U.S. concern about the regional security implications of Solomon Islands’ security agreement with China.
Key developments
The United States reopened its embassy in Honiara, after decades without a resident embassy.
The United States and Solomon Islands entered a Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold program.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of development and security cooperation are unclear.
- The extent to which concerns over Solomon Islands’ security ties with China continue to affect bilateral engagement is uncertain.