US vessel denied port call in Solomon Islands - Associated Press
A United States Coast Guard cutter conducting patrols as part of an international mission to prevent illegal fishing was recently unable to get clearance for a scheduled port call in the Solomon Islands, an incident that comes amid growing concerns of Chinese influence on the Pacific nation, according to Associated Press.
The cutter Oliver Henry was taking part in Operation Island Chief monitoring fishing activities in the Pacific, which ended on Friday, when it sought to make a scheduled stop at the Solomons' Guadalcanal island to refuel and reprovision, the Coast Guard office in Honolulu, Hawaii said.
There was no response from the Solomon Islands' government for diplomatic clearance for the vessel to stop there, however, so the Oliver Henry diverted to Papua New Guinea, it added.
During Operation Island Chief, the US, Australia, UK and New Zealand provided support through aerial and surface surveillance for Pacific island nations participating in the operation, including the Solomons.
China has been assertively trying to expand its presence and influence in the Pacific, and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare alarmed some neighbors, the US and others after he signed a new security pact with Beijing.
The pact has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australia's northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomons would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand, but also in close proximity to Guam, the US territory that hosts major military bases.
