Snyder Rini, who was elected as the Solomon Islands' prime minister April 20, resigned April 26. His election prompted riots in which people torched businesses in Chinatown in the Solomon Islands' capital of Honiara on April 20. During this time of chaos, China is forwarding its reputation as a responsible actor in the South Pacific by chartering planes to fly Chinese refugees from the Solomon Islands to safety on the mainland. The Solomon Islands currently recognizes Taiwan, rather than mainland China, as the legitimate Chinese government. It is a common assumption that both Taipei and Beijing buy off South Pacific leaderships to garner recognition; specifically, it is alleged that Taiwanese money helped Rini's election. The April 20 protests in Honiara were in response to the corruption of leaders who are seen as showing more allegiance to foreign powers than to their own citizens.