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Solomon Islands: China's Island Lease 'Unlawful'

Reuters

   SYDNEY - The Solomon Islands government says a contract signed by one
   of its provinces to lease the entire island of Tulagi to a Chinese
   company is unlawful and should be terminated.

   Details of the controversial long-term lease between Solomons' Central
   Province and China Sam Enterprise Group were made public shortly after
   the Pacific nation switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to Beijing in
   September, which sparked a strong rebuke from the United States.

   Headquartered in Beijing, Sam Group is a technology, investment and
   energy conglomerate founded in 1985 as a state-owned enterprise.

   Solomons Attorney General John Muria said the province and Chinese
   company were not legally able to strike such an agreement without
   government involvement.

   "The agreement was not vetted by the Attorney General's chambers before
   signing," Muria said in a statement issued Thursday.

   The agreement was "unlawful, unenforceable and must be terminated with
   immediate effect", Muria said.

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