Australia PM says will 'ensure' no China base on Solomon Islands

News Snapshot:

Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised Sunday during a heated debate before the May 21 elections that Australia would cooperate with its friends to prevent China from establishing a military facility in the Solomon Islands. China’s growing clout in the Pacific has become a hot political issue in Australia ahead of the polls, following Beijing’s announcement last month that it had signed a security pact with the Solomons. The China-Solomons deal has not been publicly released but a leaked draft alarmed countries in the region, particularly sections that would allow Chinese naval deployments to the Solomons — less than 2,000 kilometers...