
The Solomon's once had the vestiges of an economy but inter tribal infighting put paid to that. Just like in the USA, the first thing that black people do when they are rioting is to burn down and loot their own shops and stores. Not real bright. Especially since those shops and stores are owned by white, Asian, and Indian people who have a lot more brains than the locals. My mate's son in law is a naval officer and he said that after the first series of inter tribal riots in the Solomon's, HMAS Tobruk evacuated anybody who wanted to get the hell out of the place. Naturally, that meant anybody who had brains and was not a Solomon Islander. He said that HMAS Tobruk took away 90% of the local economy.
What is left is just another black run shithole, easy prey to the smart Chinese who see nothing wrong with a bit of Imperialism, as long as they are the Imperial power. And in a way, god luck to them. Black people are unable to create functioning modern societies without smarter races telling them what to do, and doing everything for them.
Of course, this is bad for Australia, but is it such a bad thing? The Solomon's is a bloody long way from China, and as the Japs found out in WW2, having Island bases in The Pacific, a long way from home, can be more of a liability than an asset. Initially in a war, such an asset would be a real boon for the Chinese. But as the war drags on, the problems of resupply would become (as the Japs found to their cost), a serious problem. In the Japanese base at Rabaul, the 100,000 Japanese soldiers stationed there found themselves in a giant self imposed prison camp. Two thirds of those soldiers had to become farmers so that the whole force could feed itself. The only strategic value that The Solomons has is their position between Australia and Hawaii. They have no resources except fish.
Unless China intends to take over Indonesia and PNG, any Chinese force stationed in The Solomon's would be a vulnerable and juicy target for any allied counter attack. It would be in a similar position to MacArthur's US forces in the Philippines during the opening stages of WW2. Very far from home and unable to be supplied, reinforced, relived, or even evacuated.
Australia can not win a bidding war in the Pacific for the bought loyalties of corrupt island governments. The Chinks have a lot more money than us, they don't see anything wrong with bribery, and they can always outbid us. We may not like it but it is best if we give our new enemy who is our best trading partner their little win. With a bit of luck the Chinese may find their new Pacific Islander partners as big a pain in the butt as western people do.
The best way to stick it to the Chinese is to tell them that if they build a base on The Solomons, Australia will recognise Taiwan as an independent country. That will really piss them off, and hopefully, make them think twice.
There is not much Australia can do to prevent the building of