Chinese FM Wang Yi To Tour Pacific

China's foreign minister Wang Yi will conduct an extensive tour of the pacific this week which is likely to include the signing of a security pact with the Solomon Islands.

• Wang will address a 20-person delegation in the Solomon Island and is expected to sign a security pact which could provide for a permanent Chinese military presence in the region.
• The security pact has led to fears in the west that China could establish a military base on the strategically important island under the proviso of 'assisting in maintaining social order'.
• Wang will follow his Solomon Islands visit with stops in Kiribati, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and East Timor and he will host a meeting of Pacific Island foreign ministers in Fiji.
• The visit comes immediately in the wake of the Quad summit in Tokyo where leaders of the US, Japan, China, and India warned of the rise of China in the region.
• The Quad leaders joint statement: ‘We strongly oppose any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo and increase tensions in the area, such as the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.’