Laurie Hok Si Chan is a politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and diplomat

Diplomat

A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...

 from the Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

. He served as Minister for Foreign Affairs

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

 from 2002 to 2006 and served in the National Parliament

National Parliament of the Solomon Islands

The National Parliament of Solomon Islands has 50 members, elected for a four year term in 50 single-seat constituencies.It is presided by a Speaker - currently Sir Allan Kemakeza.-Latest elections:-Members:...

 as MP

Member of Parliament

A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

 for West Guadalcanal Constituency from 2001 to 2010. In May 2009, he was named Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs in Prime Minister Derek Sikua

Derek Sikua

David Derek Sikua served as the ninth Prime Minister of Solomon Islands from December 20, 2007 to August 25, 2010. He is a member of the Solomon Islands Liberal Party.-Career:Sikua is from Ngalitavethi Village in Guadalcanal Province...

's government, and was fired from this same position in April 2010.

Chan was first elected to the National Parliament in the December 2001 election and served as Minister for Finance and Treasury

Finance minister

The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...

 from March 30, 2002 until December 8, 2002. He was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs on December 12, 2002 and served in that position until May 5, 2006, when he was removed from office following the resignation of Snyder Rini

Snyder Rini

Snyder Rini is a Solomon Islands politician who was briefly the eighth Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands from April to May 2006 and has been Minister for Finance and Treasury since December 2007...

 as Prime Minister

Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands

The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands is Solomon Islands' head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National Parliament. Solomon Islands is a Commonwealth realm. Since August 2010, the Prime Minister has been Danny Philip of the Reform...

 on April 26, 2006.

Chan's father, businessman Thomas Chan and leader of the Association of Independent Members

Association of Independent Members

The Association of Independent Members is a political party in the Solomon Islands.At the last legislative elections, 5 December 2001, the party won 13 out of 50 seats....

 party, has been accused of helping bring Rini to power through bribery.
Chan was a member of the Bills and Legislation Committee in Parliament from May 2006 until the end of his term in 2010.

He did not stand as a candidate to defend his seat in the August 2010 general election

Solomon Islands general election, 2010

A general election was held in the Solomon Islands on 4 August 2010. In May 2010, Prime Minister Derek Sikua announced that the election would be held on 4 August, however, this announcement was deemed to be premature, as only the Governor General has the authority to announce the election date...

, standing down from Parliament. Moses Garu

Moses Garu

Moses Garu is a Solomon Islands politician.With diplomas in tropical agriculture and in secondary teaching, he has worked in public service, as a school teacher, and in banking. He was a bank manager at the time of the severe ethnic conflicts on Guadalcanal and Malaita in the early 2000s...

 succeeded him as MP for West Guadalcanal.

In 2011, he was appointed as the Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 (Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

)'s ambassador to Solomon Islands. The Solomons are one of the few countries to recognise the Republic of China rather than the People's Republic of China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, and Chan had supported continued relations with Taiwan when he was Minister for Foreign Affairs.