The Latest Breaking News from Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands and China signed a wide-ranging security deal in April that opens the way for Beijing to send police and military forces to the Pacific nation, but there are questions over how the agreement will operate.

The World Bank plans to step up assistance to the Solomon Islands with $130 million in new funding for projects and assistance expected to be allocated to the country this month.

Samoa signed a bilateral agreement with China on Saturday, promising “greater collaboration” as Beijing’s foreign minister continues a South Pacific tour that has sparked concern among Western allies.

Scant details released apart from promises of infrastructure support, amid western concerns that China is seeking to expand its security presence in region

Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi is touring eight Pacific island nations as part of a strategy to increase Beijing's clout in the region. The move triggered Western countries to strengthen ties and may re-boot the relationship between France and Australia, still suffering from a submarine deal that went wrong.

China will consider building a police training centre in Solomon Islands, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi tours the Pacific in a bid to increase its influence in the region.

Pacific countries in the centre of a geopolitical tug-of-war between China and the US and its allies face a big decision this week

China has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Solomon Islands on civil air transport, laying a foundation for airlines of both countries to open air routes, China's aviation regulator said on Friday.

When China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April it raised concerns from the U.S. and its allies that Beijing may be seeking a military outpost in the South Pacific, an area of traditional American naval dominance