Australia, Solomon Islands vows stronger ties

Australia and the Solomon Islands pledged on Tuesday to deepen bilateral ties ​and criticised China's test of a ballistic missile fired from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific, a move experts ‌said could sharpen strategic rivalry in the region.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who met Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale in Honiara on Tuesday, said Canberra did not want to see actions that could undermine peace and security in the Pacific.

"There is no doubt that this is a provocative act by China, which does destabilise the ​region," Albanese said during a joint media briefing with Wale after their meeting in the Solomons' capital.

Albanese said China did not ​follow the standard procedure of giving 48 hours' advance notice before the test, but the "real concern" was that ⁠the missile was fired from a nuclear-powered submarine.

A nuclear submarine of the People's Liberation Army Navy launched the missile carrying a dummy warhead ​toward international waters in the Pacific at 12.01 p.m. (0401 GMT) on Monday, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The missile landed in "designated waters," it ​added, without giving further details of the location.

China's missile test drew criticism and concern from the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Beijing hoped countries "will not over-interpret the matter."

Though China is Australia's largest trading partner, Canberra remains wary of Beijing's expanding influence in the Pacific and is ​pursuing security deals with island nations to prevent China from establishing any permanent military presence in the South Pacific.

Australia and its ally the ​United States have long considered the South Pacific within their sphere of influence.

-Reuters