US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale to discuss deepening ties and signed a letter of intent to return the Peace Corps to the islands after more than 25 years.
The Solomon Islands is viewed by analysts as having the closest ties among Pacific nations to China, the biggest US strategic rival, after signing a security pact with Beijing in 2022. This prompted concern from the United States, which has sought to bolster its ties in the strategically important region.
The State Department said during the meeting, which took place on Monday, Landau and Wale discussed initiatives aimed at promoting investment in the Solomons.
Landau also announced the State Department would provide $US6 million in new funding to expand its program to remove unexploded World War II ordnance from the islands, where the Battle of Guadalcanal was fought between the US and Japan.
Landau is acting director of the Peace Corps, a US government program that places volunteers in developing countries.
The histories of the US and the Solomon Islands have long been intertwined, from the missionaries who preached the Gospels to the Marines and soldiers who liberated Guadalcanal in WWII. It was a real honor and pleasure for me today to host the country's dynamic new Prime... pic.twitter.com/aAxrMyeh62
— Christopher Landau (@DeputySecState) July 21, 2026
In an online post, the Peace Corps said between 1971 and 2000, more than 700 of its volunteers worked on education, community development and health initiatives in the Solomon Islands. It suspended its activities there in 2000 due to political unrest.
Last week, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Solomon Islands counterpart after China's military test-fired a missile with a dummy warhead from a nuclear-powered submarine into the South Pacific.
The launch drew criticism from regional countries, including the Solomons. Wale said after the test that China is "a good friend of Solomon Islands, but this is not something a friend does," while vowing stronger ties with Australia.
Australian Associated Press
