Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is "very confident” there won’t be a Chinese military base built in the Solomon Islands, after meeting with Solomons’ leader Manasseh Sogavare.
Albanese and Prime Minister Sogavare embraced warmly ahead of discussions on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji on Wednesday afternoon, their first meeting since the Australian leader was elected in May.
Australia has been a close security and economic partner of the Solomon Islands but the relationship was shaken in April by news that the Pacific nation had signed a security agreement with the Chinese government.