The Solomon Islands government confirmed yesterday that it had signed, sealed, and would now deliver on a contract with Chinese tech giant Huawei to build 161 telecom towers in the country, courtesy of a $96 million 20-year concessional loan from the Exim Bank of China.
The view from many people in the Solomon Islands is that the numbers don’t add up. The view from the region is that the infrastructure may pose a security risk.
“The biggest issue is if it’s sustainable for us as a country. Whether we get it from Australia or whoever, can we handle it?” Solomon Islands journalist Dorothy Wickham told Crikey.
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