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A US Coast Guard cutter patrolling an international mission in the Pacific Ocean was denied entry to a Solomon Islands port, raising concerns about China’s growing influence in the area.
Cutter Oliver Henry was taking part in Operation Island Chief to monitor fisheries in the Pacific, which ended Friday, when he attempted to make a scheduled stop in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, to refuel and refuel. said the Honolulu Coast Guard office.
However, there was no response from the Solomon Islands government for diplomatic clearance for the ship to stop there, so the Oliver Henry was hijacked to Papua New Guinea, the Coast Guard said.
In addition, it was reported that a British ship was also denied entry, but the British Royal Navy did not comment directly on those reports.
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US Coast Guard crew members work on a cutter at the Miami Coast Guard Sector Base on January 26, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
((Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images))
During Operation Island Chief, the United States, Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand provided support through air and surface surveillance to the Pacific island nations participating in the operation, including the Solomon Islands.
China has sought to expand its presence and influence in the Pacific, and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has alarmed some neighbors, the United States and others after signing a new security pact with China.
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The pact has raised concerns that a Chinese naval base will be established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australia’s northeastern coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomon Islands would place it not only at the gates of Australia and New Zealand, but also in the immediate vicinity of Guam, the US territory that hosts important military bases.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission
(Ju Peng / Xinhua via Getty Images)
“China is gaining ground in its efforts to gain dominance in the Pacific,” former US Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Hutton tweeted in response to the news.
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“China now manages the Solomon Islands”, Gordon G. Chang, author of China’s next collapse, posted on Twitter.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing, October 9, 2019.
(Xinhua / Yao Dawei)
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
