By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-09-08 02:06:46 | Updated at 2026-09-08 03:39:35
1 hour ago
Australia is in the process of finalising a treaty with another Pacific island nation, with the national broadcaster reporting that Canberra has struck an “in-principle” agreement with the Solomon Islands.
The two nations will work to sign the deal in the coming weeks, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing unidentified government officials. The news comes after Solomons Prime Minister Matthew Wale saw off a challenge to his leadership from within his cabinet, with the rival withdrawing over the weekend.
Australia has pledged A$980 million (US$708 million) in extra funding for the Solomon Islands’ government, according to a leaked text message from the Australian ambassador that was also reported by the ABC.
Once finalised, the deal would represent a significant diplomatic victory for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government. The Solomon Islands shot to geopolitical prominence in 2022 when then-prime minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security pact with China, provoking alarm in Canberra and Washington.
Albanese was first elected prime minister just weeks after the Solomons-China agreement was revealed, and has worked over the past four years to both reverse that deal and rebuild ties with the archipelago nation. Since Wale came to power in May, he has shifted his government’s diplomatic focus back to Australia and the US, breaking with previous administrations’ tilt towards Beijing.
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Wale’s first overseas trip was to Canberra in June, with Albanese then reciprocating in July, when he travelled to Honiara and announced the start of the negotiations for the treaty. That meeting came a day after Albanese signed two new deals with Fiji, including a military alliance, which New Zealand has also expressed an interest in joining.
