US: A senior US delegation will visit the Solomon Islands to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II, just months after the Pacific island nation signed a controversial security deal with China, according to the State Department. according.
Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will travel to the islands' capital, Honiara from August 6 to 8, to attend planned commemorative ceremonies with Japan, a current close US ally.
Guests will also include US Ambassador to Australia Carolyn Kennedy. Caroline's father, the late President John F. Kennedy, was infamously wounded in the Solomon Islands during a Japanese offensive at sea after the decisive battle.
The State Department said in a statement on Monday that US and Allied forces, the people of the Solomon Islands and the people of Japan will be recognized for their service and sacrifice during these events.
Additionally, the US delegation "will highlight the enduring relationship between the United States and the Solomon Islands," according to the statement, including the most recent option to reopen a US embassy in Honiara.
In defiance of Australian and US concerns that an emerging Beijing would further increase its military influence in the Pacific, the Solomon Islands signed a secret security deal with China in April.
However, according to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogaware, the Solomon Islands will not have a foreign military base, out of concern that they could become a target.
The Battle of Guadalcanal, a lengthy offensive that lasted six months in 1942 and 1943 and signaled the start of important Allied operations in the Pacific, resulted in serious injury to Sherman's father, a Marine.
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