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That may be so but one of the risks highlighted already is that australia is perceived by some as just taking the Pacific Islands for granted. This is further exacerbated by the way the Govt has reacted to this entire situation, including sending essentially a nobody to the Solomons in the form of Zed Seselja. I know that he is/was Australia's Minister for International Development and the Pacific but honestly I don't think anyone had heard of him up until this point. We make a big deal but then send a second tier minister. That just plays into the Chinese game.This is a slap in the face for Australia. We have provided 100's of millions of dollars to the Solomons over the years, helped improve infrastructure, health care, donate patrol boats etc. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you..
Australia's development partnership with Solomon Islands
Slowly colonizing.China is also into Africa, building infrastructure for relatively cheap prices. they are not doing this without reason.
That's China's long game. And they're good at it. Look at Sri Lanka, China loaned them billions so the former could build a massive, yet useless port facility. Now that the loans are due, China says skip repayment if we can have a longterm lease of the port as a PLAAN naval base. China's 'naval base grab' in Sri Lanka exposed amid WW3 India rowSlowly colonizing.