China, Solomon Islands ink police cooperation deal
China and Solomon Islands signed a new deal on police cooperation on Monday, deepening their bilateral partnership four years after the Pacific island nation established relations with Beijing. The "implementation plan" on policing – effective through 2025 – was one of nine documents signed on Monday following talks between Premier Li Qiang and visiting Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare at Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Li said that the development of China-Solomon Islands relations over the past four years had been "very fruitful". The Solomons' decision to switch its diplomatic recognition to Beijing was "the correct choice that conforms to the trend of the times", he added. Sogavare, in turn, told Li that his country "has a lot to learn from China's development experience". Also signed between the two countries was an agreement on a "Sports Technical Assistance Project" for this year's Pacific Games in Solomons capital Honiara, for which Beijing is building the host stadium. Sogavare is expected to be in China until Saturday, and is officially opening his country's Beijing embassy as well as visiting the provinces of Jiangsu and Guangdong. (AFP)