US reopens embassy in Solomons to counter China

WELLINGTON: The United States reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands on Thursday in its latest move to counter China's push into the Pacific.

The embassy in the capital Honiara is starting small, with a chargé d'affaires, a couple of US State Department staff and a handful of local employees. Washington previously operated an embassy in the Solomon Islands for five years before closing it in 1993 as part of a global reduction in diplomatic posts after the end of the Cold War.