The Solomon Islands will soon sign an agreement allowing the United States Coast Guard to patrol its maritime waters alongside local police, Prime Minister Matthew Wale announced during a visit to Washington. The arrangement, known as a “ship rider agreement,” is set to be formalized next week in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara. It aims to enhance joint maritime enforcement and surveillance across the region.
This move marks a significant shift in the Solomon Islands’ security posture. Since signing a secret security pact with China in 2022, the country had positioned itself as one of China’s closest security partners in the South Pacific. That year, a US Coast Guard vessel was blocked from making a port call in the Solomon Islands, highlighting growing tensions in the region. After his election in May, Wale pledged to bring changes, and the new agreement signals efforts to deepen cooperation with the United States.
During his visit, Wale met with US Coast Guard Vice Commandant Admiral Thomas Allan and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to discuss expanding bilateral ties. The talks included potential investments, among them a plan to develop a tuna processing factory at Bina Harbour. The port has drawn attention due to previous Chinese interest in its development, raising concerns in Australia about the possibility of it serving dual military and civilian purposes.
The Solomon Islands' extensive 1.5 million square kilometer exclusive economic zone relies heavily on tuna fishing, making maritime security a critical issue. Wale emphasized the urgency of addressing increasing regional threats, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities. The US Coast Guard has in recent years expanded patrols in the South Pacific, often carrying “ship riders” — police officers from Pacific island nations — to inspect fishing vessels. In 2024, US Coast Guard vessels with ship riders boarded Chinese fishing boats in Vanuatu and Kiribati, resulting in official protests from China following discoveries of illegal fishing.
James Batley, a former Australian diplomat to the Solomon Islands, described the pact as a significant development. He noted heightened regional concerns about transnational criminal activity, including the appearance of “narco submarines” in the Solomon Islands, and suggested the United States Coast Guard could offer valuable assistance in countering these threats.
In addition to security cooperation, Wale and Landau signed a letter of intent to reinstate the Peace Corps program in the Solomon Islands. The initiative is expected to include $6 million in funding to expand the country’s unexploded ordnance removal program, according to a US State Department readout.
The new partnership represents a nuanced balancing act for the Solomon Islands as it navigates its relationships with both China and the United States amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Pacific region.