Zhao Lijian Photo: VCG

China supports the Solomon Islands government's efforts in stopping violence and chaos, and requires the government to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing on Thursday after about 1,000 people gathered to protest in the capital Honiara on Wednesday.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks when commenting on whether the Chinese government will evacuate Chinese nationals from the Solomon Islands after people began protesting in Honiara to demand that Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare resign. The Solomon Islands parliament and Chinese-owned shops were reportedly attacked in the protests.

China believes that under the leadership of Sogavare, the Solomon Islands will be able to restore social order and stability as soon as possible, Zhao said, noting that China is gravely concerned about some Chinese citizens and institutions being attacked.

Any attempt to disrupt the normal development of bilateral relations between the two sides is futile, Zhao said. Bilateral exchanges and cooperation in economy and trade, infrastructure, education, health and other fields have yielded achievements, which have benefited people from the two sides.

Zhao said that the one-China principle is the basic principle of international relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Solomon Islands two years ago, bilateral relations have developed well. 

China and the Solomon Islands signed a joint communique in Beijing in 2019 on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The government of the Solomon Islands recognizes that there is one China in the world, that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. Taiwan island is an inalienable part of China's territory, according to the communique.