China's growing influence reflected as Solomon Islands denies docking permission to two international warships

The British patrol boat HMS Spey and the US Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Henry were compelled to divert to other ports after taking part in a 15-nation, 10-day mission to deter illegal fishing in the region, reports news.com.au.

The move sparked immediate suspicion among international affairs analysts after the Solomon Islands and China signed a controversial security agreement earlier this year.

Fears over Beijing’s growing influence in the South Pacific had prompted Canberra, Wellington and Washington to urge Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare not to sign the pact.

According to reports, a document draft leaked in March appears to allow China to station its warships there and deploy troops to protect its investments.

On Tuesday, Sogavare announced he had imposed a moratorium on accepting all international naval visits. He was speaking at a welcoming ceremony for the giant US Navy hospital ship USS Mercy.

He accused the patrol vessels of failing to provide the necessary paperwork in time for his office to grant approval.

“The delay in these approvals demonstrates the need for the government to review and refine its approval requirements and procedures for visiting military vessels to the Solomon Islands,” Sogavare was quoted as saying by the website.

“To this end, we have requested our partners to give us time to review and put in place our new processes before sending further requests for military vessels to enter the country,” Sogavare added.