Solomon Islands election watched by US, China amid Pacific influence contest

A national election in the Solomon Islands, the first since Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare signed a security pact with Beijing, will be watched next week for its potential to jolt the U.S.-China rivalry in the South Pacific. The United States and Australia are concerned about China's naval ambitions in Pacific countries, as tensions rise over Taiwan. Despite its population of just 700,000, the Solomon Islands occupies a strategic position 1,600km (990 miles) northeast of Australia, strewn with World War Two wrecks that remind it was once a pivotal battlefield.