Pro-China leader faces election test in Solomon Islands

SYDNEY -- Voters in the Solomon Islands will cast ballots on Wednesday in a national election that could determine the Pacific nation's relations with China amid increasing geopolitical competition in the region.

Incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has deepened ties with China during his latest tenure, which began in 2019, with the shift adding to long-running tensions in the archipelago nation, where poverty, poor health, underfunded education services and corruption are key issues for many of the more than 700,000 citizens.