China gunning to build Solomon Islands 'military base' on doorstep of Australia

China will likely move fast to cement its presence in the Pacific after signing a security pact with the Solomon Islands, according to one senior analyst. While China has ruled out establishing a military base in the Solomons, there is a risk Beijing will establish a 'military base by stealth' in the next one to two years, Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Malcolm Davis said. Dr Davis says Australia should have shown more diplomacy with the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island nations. Labor has branded the signing of a Sino-Solomons security pact as the worst Australian foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II. Foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong says a Chinese security agreement with a nation merely 2,000km from Australia has made the region less secure. Despite repeated assertions from the Solomon Islands that Australia remains its security partner of choice, Senator Wong says the pact with China has demonstrated Canberra is no longer the go-to for government officials in the capital, Honiara. 'What this deal signifies is that Australia is no longer for the Solomon Islands a nation to whom they turn to meet their challenges in every instance,' she said. Pacific Minister Zed Seselja said Australia is not considering cutting its aid spending to the Solomons in retaliation for the announcement as Canberra continues to engage with the region.