Meanwhile, Australia's spy chief says Canberra is concerned Chinese police deployed to the Solomon Islands under a new security pact could use "ruthless" techniques previously used to quell antigovernment protests in Hong Kong.

The deal was announced by Beijing on April 19, weeks after a draft version leaked on social media and sparked concern it could open the door to a Chinese military presence in the South Pacific.

Asked how realistic it was that China would request to put troops in the Solomon Islands within the next year, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews told 4BC radio it was "very likely".

"It is likely that will be the path that China will be taking in the Pacific region," she continued, as quoted by AFP.

Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has repeatedly said there would be no Chinese military base built in his country under the security deal but has not made the final version of the pact public.

The leaked draft contained provisions allowing for Chinese security and naval deployments to the Solomon Islands, including language stating the "forces of China" would be empowered to protect "the safety of Chinese personnel" and "major projects".

Andrews questioned the timing of Beijing's announcement of the deal in the run-up to the Australian federal election on May 21, which has been dominated by debate about foreign policy and Pacific diplomacy.

"Beijing is clearly very aware that we are in a federal election campaign here at the moment," she said. "We talk about political interference and that has many forms."

Beijing's announcement of the security deal also came just days before a well-publicized visit by United States officials to the Solomons.

 

Hong Kong-like

One of Australia's top intelligence officials raised concerns late Tuesday about the potential presence of Chinese police in the Pacific nation, which was rocked by violent protests in November that were fueled in part by rising anti-China sentiment.

Australian Office of National Intelligence director general Andrew Shearer said Canberra was concerned Chinese police deployed to the Solomon Islands under a new security pact could use "ruthless" techniques previously used to quell antigovernment protests in Hong Kong, as reported by Reuters.

He traveled to the Pacific islands nation in March in a failed attempt to persuade Sogavare not to sign a security pact with China that has alarmed the US and its allies.

Shearer told the Raisina Dialogue conference in New Delhi that Australia responded within eight hours to Sogavare's request in November for police assistance to quell riots.

Deployed Australian police sit under the command of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force through a bilateral security treaty.

Australia is concerned about the impact of Chinese police on unity of command in security operations, he said.

"In such a fragile, volatile country Chinese policing techniques and tactics that we've seen deployed so ruthlessly in Hong Kong, for example, are completely inconsistent with the Pacific way of resolving issues and could incite further instability and violence in the Solomon Islands," he said.

The Chinese embassy in the Solomon Islands did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China said previously the security deal was not targeted at any third party and did not contradict the cooperation the Pacific nation has with other countries.

The pact has dominated the Australian election campaign, amid fears it could lead to a Chinese navy presence less than 2,000 kilometers from Australia.

China's foreign ministry told reporters a day earlier that "Australian politicians often seek selfish political gains by making wild remarks to smear China and clamor for war".

Shearer denied the signing of the pact was an intelligence failure by Australia, which has invested billions of dollars in aid and security assistance to the Solomon Islands.

Intelligence agencies were concerned it could potentially lead to an increased Chinese military presence, despite Sogavare publicly ruling this out, he said.

China aimed to establish a network of dual use and military facilities from the west coast of Africa to the Pacific, he said.