 were 'not the same' as the weapons that had arrived in the murky shipment in the middle of the night, it alleged. 'According to Mangau's explanation, it was not unusual for the government to import four large crates of weapons without listing items on a manifest, notifying customs officers, or informing the public,' the US diplomats wrote. The shipment arrived at a time when the US and its Pacific allies were on edge over news of a secretive security pact between Beijing and the government of prime minister Manasseh Sogavare, that raised fears Chinese warships could be stationed less than 1,200 miles from the Australian coast. 'Very disturbing' Australia's Federal Police, who have worked closely on security issues and training with the Solomons authorities, also donated 60 AR-15 rifles last year. The move was criticised by Solomons opposition leader Matthew Wale as a 'very disturbing' attempt to counter China's influence. 'Are we being militarised again?' he asked. The Solomon Islands' Office of the prime minister and cabinet, the RSIPF and the Chinese embassy in Honiara have not commented on the content of the cables. The Telegraph has approached the office of the Solomon Islands prime minister, the Chinese embassy and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force for comment.){kind=link}
Local police said the weapons were ‘training aides’ but diplomats said they ‘appeared real, and had unique serial numbers’
A mysterious shipment of “replica” guns China sent to the Solomon Islands last year was likely genuine firearms, according to a US embassy cable.
The analysis, obtained by Al Jazeera through a Freedom of Information request, risks sparking a fresh controversy about the lack of transparency over Beijing’s ties with the strategically-located Pacific nation, where both China and the United States are vying for influence.
The surreptitious arrival in March 2022 of four large wooden crates containing weapons at a small, private port on the outskirts of the capital Honiara, created alarm and suspicion among residents and opposition politicians.
Mostyn Mangau, the police commissioner, said the 95 rifles and 92 pistols were replicas that would be used as “training aides”, explaining that the delivery of cargo on logging ships had become commonplace during the pandemic.