Image Credits: Wikipedia The Solomon Islands will sign an agreement next week allowing the U.S. Coast Guard to patrol its waters with local police officers on board, Prime Minister Matthew Wale said during a visit to Washington, as the Pacific island nation strengthens maritime cooperation with the United States despite its close security ties with China. The planned “ship-rider agreement” comes as the United States steps up its engagement in the Pacific, where China has expanded its influence in recent years following a security pact with the Solomon Islands signed in 2022. The agreement, which will be signed in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara, is aimed at improving joint maritime enforcement and surveillance, according to a statement from the Solomon Islands government. During his visit, Wale met U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant Admiral Thomas Allan and later held talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. According to a U.S. State Department statement, Wale and Landau also signed a Letter of Intent to bring the Peace Corps back to the Solomon Islands. The two leaders discussed investment opportunities, including the proposed development of a tuna processing factory at Bina Harbour. The project had previously attracted Chinese interest, raising concerns in Australia over its possible dual-use potential. The State Department also announced an additional $6 million to expand its unexploded ordnance removal programme in the Solomon Islands. Landau said he hoped to visit the country to see sites linked to the two nations’ shared World War Two history. The Solomon Islands government said Wale stressed the need to improve security across the Pacific, citing growing threats from drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Under ship-rider agreements, local law enforcement officers board U.S. Coast Guard vessels and can carry out inspections and enforcement activities within their cou