Australia’s foreign minister has met her Solomon Islands counterpart for the first time since the South Pacific island nation signed a security pact with China.
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne yesterday said she met Solomon Islands Development Planning and Aid Coordination Minister Jeremiah Manele in the Australian east coast city of Brisbane as he transited through the airport on Friday night.
“Australia has been consistent and clear in stating our respect for Solomon Islands’ sovereign decisionmaking, however we have reiterated our deep concerns about the security agreement with China, including the lack of transparency,” Payne’s office said in a statement.
Payne’s
Australian Foreign Minister met her Solomon Islands counterpart and raised deep concerns over the security arrangement between China and the island nation.
The Prime Minister has been accused of the worst foreign policy failure since World War Two after the Pacific nation announced the pact with the Beijing.
The China-Solomon Islands security deal has prompted questions about media-shy Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s handling of the Australian government’s response.