An official in the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Honiara has refuted claims the Solomon Airlines Airbus was in Port Moresby to bring the PRC’s head of mission and officials to Solomon Islands.
Jiang Liang says as an officer in the mission, he is not aware of such an undertaking. He says the proposed flight to bring delegates from PRC is still under review.
However, claims via social media says the transportation of day-old chicks to Port Moresby were used as a cover to air lift Chinese officials to Brisbane, via Port Moresby, to await the next repatriation flight to Honiara.
“If there were any arrangement of this sort for our head of mission, of course we would be the first to know”, Liang says.
The PRC’s head of mission to Solomon Islands is yet to arrive in Honiara since the country switched diplomatic ties almost a year ago.
The outbreak of COVID-19 earlier in the year has disrupted the mission's plans for its office in Honiara.
Meanwhile the local airline says the flight to Port Moresby was a freighter service. It is understood day-old chicks were transported via the Solomon Airlines Airbus from New Zealand to Port Moresby on Monday.