China is using forestry, bamboo, and high-value timber processing to strengthen its ties with the Solomon Islands—the latest example of Belt and Road timber, forestry, and bamboo diplomacy. It comes as eleven forestry officers—including Christina Gabuvai, the country’s chief forester—have returned from China, where they attended a two-month intensive training programme set up by the Chinese to build Solomon’s downstream processing capacity.
“In Solomon Islands, forest coverage is around 90%, and most of the country’s revenue comes from logging, with limited development of downstream products,” Gabuvai told China Daily today. While logging remains the Solomon Islands’ largest export, unsustainable practices have raised concerns among local communities. “I joined this seminar because the government of Solomon Islands recognised the importance of this training,” she said. “Here, I’ve gained new ideas and skills, including how to transform timber into value-added products.”
The program, held from May to July, included site visits to Zhejiang and Henan provinces, where participants studied China’s forest economies, management strategies, and wood industry supply chains. Field trips and cultural excursions offered deeper insight into China’s evolving relationship with its forests.
“We learned about China’s journey from a hunting society to an agricultural one and then to industrialisation, which brought deforestation and land degradation,” Gabuvai said. “The idea that ‘lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets’ was new to me, and it perfectly sums up forestry,” she told China Daily. “It’s about balancing environmental protection and economic development.”
Wood Central understands that the Solomon Islands delegation held in-depth discussions with Chinese experts on advancing green development across the Pacific. Topics included combating illegal logging, promoting community co-management models, developing under-forest economies, and building disaster early warning systems.
Although Gabuvai was inspired by China’s technological advances and green energy initiatives, she acknowledged the challenges of applying these lessons back home. “Given our national conditions, Solomon Islands is a small country and we lack adequate infrastructure,” she said. “Instead of relying solely on the timber industry, we can also develop eco-tourism,” Gabuvai said. “But to do that, we need supporting infrastructure and facilities.”
- For more information about timber opportunities in the Pacific, a $1 billion-plus market for tropical timber, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from October 2023.
