Solomon Islands Leader Skips Biden Summit to Avoid Lecture

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare stated that he skipped the Pacific Islands leaders summit at the White House to avoid a "lecture" and because he had more pressing issues at home. Sogavare, who has close ties with China, expressed disappointment with the lack of outcomes from the previous summit and praised China's development cooperation as "less restrictive" at the United Nations General Assembly. The summit saw U.S. President Joe Biden making a significant pledge for infrastructure investment in the Pacific region, but Sogavare prioritized the remaining weeks of parliament in Solomon Islands over attending the summit.