China chips away at US-Australian influence in the Pacific, as Solomon Islands bans foreign naval vessels

China’s financial backing for new telecommunications towers in the Solomon Islands, followed by Honiara’s ban this week on foreign naval visits, shows Beijing’s influence in the South Pacific is deepening, experts say.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said on Tuesday the Solomon Islands had suspended visits from all foreign navies, until a “revised national mechanism” for military vessels was in place.