Photo: Yin Yeping/GT
Editor's Note:
China and the Solomon Islands are comprehensive strategic partners with ties built on mutual respect and common development. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations five years ago, bilateral ties have developed rapidly, political mutual trust has continuously deepened, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results, becoming a model for South-South cooperation among developing countries. The Global Times (GT) reporter Yin Yeping recently conducted an exclusive interview with Barrett Salato (Salato), Ambassador of the Solomon Islands to China, during which the envoy shared his view on the significance of Chinese investment for the island nation. He also emphasized a strong commitment to enhancing collaboration with China in green transformation, particularly within the electric vehicle (EV) sector, while defying any attempts of "decoupling" targeting China.
GT: How does the Solomon Islands intend to attract Chinese investment and how significant is the role that Chinese investors play in your country's development?
Salato: Chinese companies are welcome to explore opportunities in the Solomon Islands. The government of the Solomon Islands is prioritizing the development of the tourism sector, fisheries, and agriculture. We invite Chinese business investors to explore these opportunities.
Chinese investment is very important to us. I stress this because China is the largest trading partner of the Solomon Islands. We need to expand those trade ties. Even though the current trade between the two countries is significant, it comprises only a very small portion of product categories, mainly forest products. We want to diversify our cooperation into other sectors such as tourism, fisheries and agriculture, which are the main sectors prioritized by the government. We seek to acquire agricultural techniques and methods from China to develop our own agriculture industry. Hopefully, more Chinese investors can come and explore these new opportunities.
GT: How can China and the Solomon Islands cooperate on green economic transformation?
Salato: Green energy transformation is what we are pursuing. The Solomon Islands is a tropical country with a lot of sunshine and wind, so renewable energy is the way forward for our country. But we need the Chinese advanced technology in the areas of renewable energy to be able to tap into these potentials. That includes having more EVs from China, since it is the symbol of future transportation and is something that the Solomon Islands looks forward to expand in the future.
We are wide open for Chinese investment to our country and we encourage more investors from China to settle there.
GT: There are claims that with increased Chinese investment in the Solomon Islands, China's influence is also weighing heavily on the country. What is your response?
Salato: That's absolutely not true. Chinese investors are welcomed just like any investors from any other countries around the world, and we invite them as long as they genuinely want to do business and partner with the Solomon Islands.
We would like to do businesses with any country in the world, regardless of where they come from. As the Ambassador of the Solomon Islands to China, I want to promote that relationship and encourage more investors from China to come to my country.
GT: What are your comments on the so-called debt trap often hyped by Western media and politicians regarding Chinese investments in the developing countries?
Salato: That's what they believe. But we also have a choice in how we develop our country. We will explore every opportunity for developing the country.
We have heard about the "debt trap" rhetoric or whatever they name it. We are a sovereign country. We assess our situation and make our own decisions. No matter how some people may think, China has been a very important partner, and the Chinese business community is one of the largest in my country.
China has been a very important builder of the infrastructure our country needs for development. At the moment, China is constructing a comprehensive health facility in the Solomon Islands for the benefit of the people, and the construction is already well underway. This is also what the Solomon Islands appreciates about China - its ability to build infrastructure projects efficiently. When Chinese companies are involved, you can see the progress and the actual changes they bring to our country.
GT: The US-led West is intensifying their voices calling for "decoupling" or "de-risking" from China and pushing other countries to join in. Does that bother you?
Salato: I think "decoupling" is another way of building walls against the progress that China has made to the world. They (some Western countries) also talk about "overcapacity" of Chinese EVs, yet I believe the world still requires numerous green products, including EVs, for sustainable development and green transformation.
We need development and cooperation rather than confrontation. And I think there are a lot of progress that China has made for the benefits of the rest of the world. We shouldn't have an "economic wall" of protectionism, pulling people away from the significant trend of globalization. This isn't the right approach. Instead, it's crucial for countries to open up to each other.
The Solomon Islands is a very small country. When major world powers like China and the US are not going well, we are the ones who feel the brunt. Our perspective is that they need to come together for the greater good of humanity, cooperating and prioritizing what's best for the global economy.
编者按：
中国和所罗门群岛是相互尊重、共同发展的全面战略伙伴。建交五年来，两国关系发展迅速，政治互信不断深化，务实合作成果丰硕，成为发展中国家南南合作的典范。近日，环球时报记者尹业平对所罗门群岛驻华大使巴雷特·萨拉托（Barrett Salato）进行了专访，在采访中，这位特使分享了他对中国投资对所罗门群岛的意义的看法。他还强调，他将坚定地致力于加强与中国在绿色转型方面的合作，特别是在电动汽车（EV）领域，同时反对任何针对中国的“脱钩”企图。
环球时报：所罗门群岛打算如何吸引中国投资，中国投资者在贵国发展中扮演着怎样的角色？
Salato：欢迎中国企业在所罗门群岛探索机会。所罗门群岛政府正在优先考虑旅游业、渔业和农业的发展。我们邀请中国商业投资者探索这些机会。
中国的投资对我们来说非常重要。我之所以强调这一点，是因为中国是所罗门群岛最大的贸易伙伴。我们需要扩大这些贸易关系。尽管目前两国之间的贸易量很大，但它只占产品类别的很小一部分，主要是林产品。我们希望将我们的合作多样化到其他部门，如旅游业、渔业和农业，这些都是政府优先考虑的主要部门。我们寻求从中国获得农业技术和方法，以发展我们自己的农业产业。希望更多的中国投资者能够前来探索这些新的机会。
环球时报：中国和所罗门群岛如何开展绿色经济转型合作？
Salato：绿色能源转型是我们追求的目标。所罗门群岛是一个热带国家，阳光和风力充沛，因此可再生能源是我国的前进方向。但我们需要中国在可再生能源领域的先进技术来挖掘这些潜力。这包括从中国获得更多电动汽车，因为它是未来交通的象征，也是所罗门群岛期待在未来扩大的东西。
我们对中国对我国的投资持开放态度，我们鼓励更多的中国投资者在那里定居。
GT：有人声称，随着中国在所罗门群岛投资的增加，中国的影响力也给该国带来了沉重的负担。中方对此有何回应？
Salato：这绝对不是真的。像世界上任何其他国家的投资者一样，我们欢迎中国投资者，只要他们真的想与所罗门群岛做生意和合作，我们就会邀请他们。
我们希望与世界上任何国家开展业务，无论他们来自哪里。作为所罗门群岛驻所罗门群岛大使中国，我想促进这种关系，并鼓励更多的中国投资者来到我的国家。
环球时报：对于西方媒体和政客经常大肆炒作的所谓债务陷阱，中方对此有何评论？
萨拉托：他们就是这么认为的。但是，在如何发展我们的国家方面，我们也可以选择。我们将探索发展国家的每一个机会。
我们听说过“债务陷阱”的言论，或者他们所说的任何事情。我们是一个主权国家。我们评估我们的情况并做出自己的决定。不管有些人怎么想，中国一直是一个非常重要的合作伙伴，中国商界是我国最大的商界之一。
中国一直是我国发展所需基础设施的非常重要的建设者。目前，中国正在所罗门群岛建设造福人民的综合性卫生设施，建设工作正在顺利进行。这也是所罗门群岛对中国的赞赏——中国高效建设基础设施项目的能力。当中国公司参与其中时，你可以看到他们为我们国家带来的进步和实际变化。
环球时报：以美国为首的西方国家正在加大对华“脱钩”或“去风险化”的呼声，并推动其他国家加入。这困扰你吗？
萨拉托：我认为“脱钩”是另一种阻碍中国向世界取得的进步筑墙的方式。他们（一些西方国家）也谈论中国电动汽车的“产能过剩”，但我相信世界仍然需要包括电动汽车在内的众多绿色产品来实现可持续发展和绿色转型。
我们需要发展与合作，而不是对抗。我认为中国已经为世界其他国家的利益取得了很多进展。我们不应该有一堵保护主义的“经济墙”，把人们从全球化的重要趋势中拉出来。这不是正确的方法。相反，各国相互开放至关重要。
所罗门群岛是一个非常小的国家。当中国和美国等世界主要大国进展不顺利时，我们首当其冲。我们的观点是，为了人类的更大利益，他们需要团结起来，合作并优先考虑对全球经济最有利的事情。
