The Solomon Islands Opposition Leader claims he warned Australian officials last year that China was negotiating a military pact which could see a base established on the strategically located Pacific nation.
News of the draft agreement is causing growing concern across the region and one analyst is warning Beijing could soon also gain a foothold in Papua New Guinea.
In an interview with the ABC, Matthew Wale — who leads the Democratic Party — said he warned Australian officials as early as August that China would likely try to establish a military presence in Solomon Islands.
"I have intimated as much to the Australian High Commissioner and officials that this was in the offing, even as far back as last year — all the indications were there and the Australian government did nothing about it — so I'm extremely disappointed in the Australian government," he said.
In November, Australia deployed troops and police to Honiara to help quell days of anti-government riots, but DFAT officials were alarmed when an offer of law enforcement help from China was later also accepted.
Now Mr Wale is suggesting Australia moves to strengthen its existing bilateral security agreement with Solomon Islands to help kill off China's push for a security pact.
"We've benefited from that treaty with Australia, what does that treaty not able to give us, maybe that should be a subject of discussions with Australia, New Zealand as opposed to going into a new treaty altogether with China."
A federal government spokesperson has told the ABC "Australian officials regularly engage with Solomon Island stakeholders on issues of interest to Australia and our region".
"We continue to engage in an open and transparent manner at all levels with the Solomon Islands Government on its security arrangements," the spokesperson added.
Liberal MP Warren Entsch, whose far north Queensland electorate of Leichhardt sits less than two thousand kilometres away from Solomon Islands, is remaining optimistic the China agreement will not be signed.
"There's a lot of things happening there that we continue to work with them, this has sort of come out of the blue," he said.
"I am frequently seeing Chinese announcements, but at the end of the day I'm yet to see anything come to fruition."
China 'could soon have foothold' in PNG
A prominent defence analyst has warned China is likely to push for a future military presence in Papua New Guinea as it works to finalise a controversial security pact with nearby Solomon Islands.
In 2020, concerns were raised in Australia when Papua New Guinea signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese company to build a $200 million "comprehensive multi-functional fishery industrial park" on Daru Island.
Former Army intelligence officer and University of New South Wales Professor, Clinton Fernandes, says China is making strong headway in Papua New Guinea just like it has in Solomon Islands.
"The next item on the agenda is the Daru Island area off Papua New Guinea which is going to have a Chinese presence and before too long a pro-China party will win the national elections in Papua New Guinea," he said.
Professor Fernandes said the same factors are in play in Papua New Guinea as in Solomon Islands, where Australian foreign aid is seen as not effective in countering China.
"We also interfere in their politics — when the Solomon Islands wanted to build an undersea internet cable between themselves and Sydney — we insisted which company would get that contract," he said.
"The current Prime Minister of Solomon Islands hasn't forgotten that episode and the same dynamic is in play in Papua New Guinea, when a large part of the aid budget actually comes back in salaries to foreign consultants".
