Solomons Islands PM to visit Australia

Solomons Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will visit Australia this week as tensions continue to boil over accusations of Chinese influence in his Pacific nation.

Mr Sogavare will land in Canberra on Thursday before meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his deputy Richard Marles.

The leaders last met on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in July, with Mr Albanese describing their relationship as "incredibly important".

"As members of the Pacific family, we are committed to working together to face our shared challenges and achieve our shared goals, including on climate change," he said on Wednesday.

"I look forward to engaging with Prime Minister Sogavare on building a strong and prosperous Pacific region, based on principles of transparency, respect and partnership."

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute warns Beijing is attempting to influence public discussion in the Solomons through propaganda and information suppression.

The government-funded think tank says Chinese Communist Party officials are attempting to silence and coerce critics and media across the Pacific.

"There's a growing body of evidence to suggest that Chinese diplomats exert pressure to influence local publications and control press releases," the institute said in a new report.

Its report also accused Beijing of pushing a "fabricated narrative" about Australia, the United States and Taiwan instigating riots in the Solomon Islands in November 2021.

The international visit is set against heightened tensions between Honiara and Canberra after Mr Sogavare accused Australia of foreign interference by offering to help fund the island's election.

The Solomon Islands leader also mocked Australia's offer in parliament.

Honiara inked a security pact with Beijing in April, raising concerns about China's growing influence in the region.

It also moved to strip any China references from a US-led accord with Pacific Island nations.

"There were some references that put us in a position where we'll have to choose sides," Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele told reporters in New Zealand this week.

"We did not want to be placed in a position where we have to choose sides."

Other Pacific nations including Micronesia and Fiji have also raised concerns about the pact, saying any security agreement should have regional consensus.

Australia insists it remains the Solomon Islands' "security partner of choice".