Death of Daniel Suidani shows how China gets the better of Quad

Daniel Suidani scared the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) more than Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, freedom of navigation patrols through the South China Sea, and a newly commissioned nuclear submarine—combined.

Last week he died of kidney failure at age 55 in a hospital in Solomon Islands, with India-donated, never used, dialysis machines a few minutes away.

Understanding why he was so important, why he died, what it means and what to do now, is essential for anyone trying to understand what is going on across the Indo-Pacific, and why the Quad (India, United States, Japan, Australia) is failing.

WHO WAS DANIEL SUIDANI?

Suidani was a former elementary school teacher who became premier of the Solomon Island province of Malaita. He was a leader of exceptional integrity and courage.

Within Solomons, and especially in his home province Malaita, Suidani was known as a tireless defender of the environment, democracy, integrity and local pride—and a peacemaker.

For example, the 2021 riots in the capital of Solomons are widely reported internationally. Less reported, but widely known in Malaita is, two weeks earlier, Suidani helped achieve a reconciliation between factions within Malaita that had been riven apart since the violence of the “Malaita Massacre” of 1927—an event triggered by a British colonial headtax.

Meanwhile, internationally, Suidani is best known for fighting Chinese Illegal, Coercive, Aggressive and Deceptive (ICAD) activity in Solomons.

In 2019, soon after the Solomons central government unilaterally switched from Taiwan to China, Suidani’s provincial government, backed by the traditional chiefs of Malaita, issued the Auki Communiqué stating that it: “strongly resolves to put in place a Moratorium on Business Licenses to new investors connected directly or indirectly with the Chinese Communist Party.”

One reason was, as his friend and advisor, Celsus Irokwato Talifilu, described Chinese businesses operations: “Our forests and people have been raped and pillaged by a logging monster that lives in China… We’ve watched it bribe and corrupt countless leaders, and we know it will never stop.”

The Communiqué also reinforced: “the need to be free from unwarranted interference of persons and therefore reject any notion of a police state”, and that extraction and use of resources must be fair, equitable and sustainable.

This position meant that, for example, as Huawei towers were put up everywhere else in Solomons, Malaita stayed Huawei free. Which gets to the core of what scared the CCP about Suidani.

His understanding of the fundamental nature of the CCP—and the courage to call it out and reject it—was a direct and effective threat to CCP operations and expansion in a strategically important location. It provided rare moral clarity and a logical explanation for why “coupling” with the CCP was inevitably disastrous. And, coming as it did, from non-Western communities, it couldn’t easily be dismissed with a China vs. US/developed world narrative.

China is putting emphasis on cognitive warfare—an attempt to affect how people think and act. The way Beijing sees it, it doesn’t matter how many nuclear submarines Australia buys if Beijing can get into the head of the Prime Minister and influence them not to use it.

A respected leader, who sees things clearly, describes it out loud, and then does something about it, is an inoculation against a CCP mind virus and is a mortal danger to Chinese plans. China can’t afford that wisdom and courage to spread.

This threat to the CCP resulted in years of attacks by China and Chinese proxies on Suidani, his family, and his supporters—including the illegal stripping of his elected seat, a series of lawfare cases designed to demoralize, bankrupt and isolate him, and an attempt to deprive him of medical care when he was seriously ill.

The Communiqué also said it welcomed partnership with anyone who shared Malaita’s democratic values. But few came—with some in Australia reportedly warning others against encouraging “troublesome” Malaita. China got into their heads.

DEATH OF SUIDANI

This once in a generation leader—one of the few people who scares the CCP—went into hospital with kidney failure. According to sources in Solomons, there is one functioning dialysis machine in the country (with possibly a few more coming online). They were donated by China, the writing on them is in Mandarin, the doctor who decides who gets treatment is from China and is paid by the Chinese government.

It is possible Suidani was offered treatment but was deemed too unstable. From reports, he wasn’t given dialysis. The details are personal to the family.

The bottom line is, in a country where 14% of the population has diabetes, the only pathway to dialysis is through a Chinese government doctor.

WHERE ARE QUAD MEMBERS?

There are broadly two phases of warfare: political warfare (including cognitive warfare to degrade the opposition’s willingness to fight and installing your communications and intelligence gathering equipment, for example Huawei towers), and kinetic/shooting warfare.

China is hoping it can overwhelm with political warfare and not need to resort to kinetic but, in case it can’t, it is preparing for kinetic as well.

POSITIVE TARGETING

Strategists often talk about “targeting”—identifying targets (places, people) to eliminate. And they talk about critical infrastructure to protect. But rarely do they talk about identifying human “targets” so important that they need protection—or include leaders of courage and integrity in (social, cultural and political) critical infrastructure.

And yet, apart from the loss to their family and communities, on a political warfare battlefield, losing them is worse than losing an aircraft carrier—especially when you remember the cognitive warfare trying to ensure that carrier won’t be employed in the first place.

So, let’s see how each Quad country is doing in one of the most contested environments in the Indo-Pacific, Solomon Islands, in a crucial aspect of the political warfare phase—one where China is already installing itself: medical care (specifically dialysis). It’s a small node, but indicative and important.

As a starting point, key members of the central government are close to China including, reportedly, the Minister of Health.

INDIA

In keeping with a 2023 promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give all Pacific Island countries assistance with dialysis, India donated machines and support equipment—arriving in Solomons at the start of the year. The donations are accompanied by training.

The Sunday Guardian was told India repeatedly offered training to Solomons but there has so far not been any response. Doctors in the hospital in Solomons report they were not aware of the offer, and the equipment sits unused.

It is unclear if this is bureaucratic crossed lines or if, as seems to have happened with the delays in letting in the Indian Ambassador to Solomons, Chinese proxies don’t want to give space to India (or any viable alternative) in countries China is trying to subsume.

It’s worth noting that of all the Quad partners, India is best placed to assist on dialysis. Its costs are substantially lower. An Indian private hospital might charge $500 a month for three-day-a-week dialysis. In Australia or the Unites States, it could be ten times that amount, or more.

UNITED STATES

The U.S. has donated some medical equipment and does medical team-visits from time to time but nothing reported in the dialysis area.

JAPAN

Japan is one of the most undervalued actors in the Pacific Islands. While it isn’t involved in dialysis at the moment in Solomon Islands, it is building a much-needed hospital in Malaita.

AUSTRALIA

Australia does relatively little in the health field in general, especially compared to the large amounts it gives Solomons in other areas.

This includes a 2024 announcement of US$123 million for policing, in spite of the fact the Solomon Islands’ Minister for Police—who oversees Australian spending—set up a shell company in Singapore with, among others, a Chinese national that same year.

Elements of Chinese “policing” (which is really state security) are already evident on the ground. Solomons police are working with Chinese police on a pilot project based on China’s Mao-era Fengqiao model.

It is designed to, among other things, better enhance “population management” and includes “collecting fingerprints and palm prints” of everyone in the village.

Australia also funded a water park for Solomons. Meanwhile, in the hospital, people are dying for lack of basic equipment and medicine.

HOW DO QUAD COUNTRIES WORK TOGETHER, ESPCIALLY MELANESIA?

Some marquee projects aside, the basic dynamic is:

Australia wants to be considered by other Quad partners as the entry point into the region—it will even object to bilateral agreements that don’t include it, as was seen with the U.S.-PNG agreement.

It prioritises security/military/policing engagement with the open goal of “integration”, under Australian leadership. That form of integration is barely post-colonial, widely resented locally, and isn’t working.

Japan has figured out it can’t rely on Australia and is quietly trying to get done what it can, without provoking the ire of Canberra.

The U.S. generally wants to get things done but still often defers to Australia though there are increasing concerns about Australian capabilities and priorities.

India’s vastly overstretched MEA is doing what it can, but many Indian strategists still turn to Australia on the region (which would be like the U.S. turning to the United Kingdom when trying to learn about India).

The result is disjointed, with mismatched goals, and a situation in which one of the few men who could bring lasting peace and democracy to Solomon Islands is at the mercy of a medical system in which China can increasingly implement life and death social credit judgement.WHAT TO DO

What is urgently needed is coordination that results not in increased “securitization” of the region, but increased human security for the people of the region—what Daniel Suidani was fighting for.

TOWNSVILLE

At the political level in Solomon Islands, that means ensuring the Townsville Peace Agreement is fully implemented—going a long way to reinforce democracy. Townsville calmed the violence in Solomons 25 years ago and proscribes a more sustainable path forward.

Instead of arming a police/security force increasingly under Chinese sway, Australia could work with Quad, the United Nations and others to provide real long-term security through Townsville. It was agreed in Australia, and Australia helped broker it, but Australia hasn’t worked to implement it—affecting not only security in Solomons, but Australia’s regional credibility.

QUAD HEALTH CARE TO DO LIST

On the health front, India and Japan might work together to properly equip and enduringly supply the hospital Japan is building in Malaita. It would give a way to test cooperation in a place where it would be welcome.

Meanwhile, a Quad working group could map health systems, identify and counter weaknesses (including corruption and political influence), use economies of scale to lower costs, establish public-private partnerships to make supply chains more efficient, run regional training in specializations, provide scholarships for medical and nursing training (perhaps in India), support telemedicine, facilitate off-island referral for health care, and more.

I’m not making this list up—it’s what people in the region have been asking for, for years.

Each Quad member has a part of the puzzle—working together creates insight, capacity and resilience.

And, if you need a “realpolitik” reason to do it, it’s what will be needed if we lose more peacemakers like Daniel Suidani and end up in a kinetic fight.

A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH

Throughout his life, Daniel Suidani exemplified service, strength, courage and integrity. Through his death, he’s exposed for all to see (if they will look) how bad the situation has become, how urgent the need, and the way forward. We owe it to him to act. Together. Now.

This one extraordinary life, and preventable death, should shake and reshape the assumptions, plans and actions of policymakers across the region. If it doesn’t, the Indo-Pacific and her people will become increasingly less free until they too risk ending up with a Chinese government official deciding if they should live or die.

Cleo Paskal is Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and columnist with The Sunday Guardian.