magz wrote:
"To wield influence" can mean really a lot of different things.
Australia is concerned our trading/supply routes to the east can be severed by Chinese military bases in the Pacific, in the future.
Also, The Solomon Islands could allow missiles to comfortably hit Australia.
There is a real security crisis in Australia and the new Labor (left-wing) party knows it, hence it is sending Penny Wong, a high ranking representative for the area, to all the relevant countries in the pacific region to counter the Chinese representative who is currently visiting those countries to woo them to China's narrative.
This is not the former right-wing government concern, as some have presented it.
This is a real issue for Australian stability in the area.