Solomon Islands no longer has official diplomatic ties with Taiwan (ROC) due to the One-China policy since 2020.

Later that same month, Taiwan's president-elect Ma met Australia's former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and reportedly promised to put an end to Taiwanese "cheque book diplomacy" in the Solomons.

This led Downer to comment: "Under the Chen Shui-bian regime there has been a lot of Taiwanese cheque book diplomacy in Solomon Islands.

"[10] Sikua, however, criticised Downer for interfering in relations between Honiara and Taipei: The editor of the Solomon Star reacted to Downer's comments, saying: The Taiwanese government subsequently stated, through its deputy director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Victor Yu, that Downer had "misunderstood" Ma: In July, it was announced that Taiwanese doctors would be providing free medical care to Solomon Islands villagers,[14] and that unskilled Solomon Islands workers would be granted access to the Taiwanese labour market.

[17] In June 2019, secret negotiations with Australia were reported that involved Solomon Islands reassessing if they wanted to switch recognition to the PRC with an internal deadline of mid-September to make a change or leave the status quo.

[20][21] In June 2020 the Premier of Malaita Province Daniel Suidani, a critic of the switch in recognition, accepted rice from Taiwan as state aid.