Australia should not overstate the threat of China in the Pacific, and mend relationships in the region
- Written by Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow, Asia Institute, The University of Melbourne

The signing of a security agreement between Solomon Islands and China in April 2022 brought geopolitical competition and militarisation in the Pacific to the fore of public discussion.
Australian policymakers and the public are concerned about the potential for a Chinese military base in the Pacific region. They harbour wider concerns that...