Stockshots of the capital of the Solomon Islands, with locals gathering at docks and markets in the city. China's growing sway in the country is facing a major test, as newly elected lawmakers pick the Pacific nation's next prime minister. The archipelago is one of the world's least-developed countries. The former British colony gained independence in 1978, establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan as one of its earliest foreign partners. But those long-standing ties were abruptly junked in 2019, when a freshly installed Sogavare gave his full-throated backing to Beijing's "One China" stance. STOCKSHOTS