The message China's security deal with the Solomon Islands sends to Australia, New Zealand and the United States

But that is only holding for the short term in my view. Depending on how relations with Australia and the United States trend over the medium term, China might find it necessary to seeking to construct a naval, air force or military base in the Solomons.

While that might not happen - given the current state of relations you simple could not rule it out over the longer term.

My own view is that China sees Papua New Guinea as being more strategically important from a military sense. That is why the proposal for a major "fisheries facility" and large port on Daru, the closest reasonably inhabitated community to Northern Australia, is most definitely still on the agenda....and being promoted by the influential PRC Embassy in Port Moresby.

China clearly regards securing effective control over the Solomon Islands as its easiest and most immediate priority - but don’t be surprised if by the end of 2022 the multi-million dollar facility on Daru will be pushed up the agenda.

Worryingly, as I have written, there is also an alternative to Daru that is close by and arguably a greater risk to Australia’s national security and strategic interest.

The Kikori-Ihu special economic zone has already secured a K90 million "grant" from China - highly unusual given that China has shifted completely from grant aid to tied project support and loan funding.

But Kikori-Ihu depends substantially on the local MP, Foreign Minister Eoe, getting re-elected. That is not at all guaranteed.

While China will be enjoying watching Australia wring its diplomatic hands over the SI agreement, it knows that Australia's diplomatic and security agencies - not to mention the people of the Torres Strait are finally watching closely what China might be planning for the Southern PNG coast.

Australia must step up that interest and first and foremost fund urgent infrastructure and services on Daru, and in the adjoining Western Province.

We ought to be encouraging the United States to focus on China's agenda in island nations across the Central Pacific, notably the Federated States of Micronesia. The proposal to upgrade a disused wartime airport in World War Two should not be ignored,

In conclusion, we need to move on from the SI debacle. It is for now a lost cause, something only a change of government in Honiara could reverse.

Our focus needs to remain on PNG, Fiji, and Samoa; while keeping a close eye on Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

The PRC announcement represents a significant setback for Australia - sadly it has been looming on the horizon for some time. Our response when the growing PRC interest and influence became all too evident was sadly just wholly inadequate.