By Anastasia Kapetas*
A reading of some of the headlines on China’s new security deal with Solomon Islands might give the impression that a Chinese naval base with assets pointed straight at Australia is a fait accompli and that other Pacific dominos are just waiting to fall. Public anxiety on the issue has risen sharply—unsurprising given that the deal has been caught up in the dynamics of the federal election campaign—with a recent Sydney Morning Herald survey finding that 70% of voters are concerned about it.
