With eyes on China's influence in the region, Canberra says it will allocate $29 million for deployments in the Solomon Islands.
President Biden announces $810 million in funding for the Pacific Islands at a rare summit in Washington and pledged to assist the region's pressing issues like climate crisis, maritime security and overfishing.
"You can count on the United States partnering with you," top US diplomat Blinken tells 12 leaders and representatives of two other nations, in a first-of-a-kind summit in Washington, despite friction with Solomon Islands.
PM Manasseh Sogavare tells UNGA his country received "a barrage of intimidation" since formalising relations with Beijing, adding Solomons will not be coerced into choosing sides.
US has reportedly invited 12 regional countries, including the Solomon Islands, which in April struck a security pact with China, heightening Washington's concern about Beijing's growing clout.
Senior US diplomat Wendy Sherman visits for three days to mark 80th anniversary of World War II Battle of Guadalcanal and to re-engage in the area where Beijing holds sway.
China's new security pact with the Solomon Islands has sparked fears in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan that Beijing may establish a military presence in the South Pacific nation.
FM Wang Yi will speak with top officials of 10 island states and is expected to discuss proposals to radically increase its involvement in the security, economy and politics of the South Pacific.
China's foreign minister Wang Yi met with the leaders of Samoa on the third stop of an island-hopping tour aimed at deepening China's ties with Pacific nations.
A leaked draft of a security pact between the two sides contains a provision that would allow Chinese naval deployments to the island nation, which is less than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) from Australia.
Beijing hopes regional island nations will accept its Common Development Vision — a major cooperation deal, ranging from fisheries to security, that has alarmed US and its regional partners.
Recent opinion polls have put the opposition Australian Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese ahead of the Liberal Party of Australia led by incumbent PM Scott Morrison.
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