Wang Yi will visit Honiara, possibly before Australia's federal election, to cement security and commercial ties with the Pacific island nation, with visits to other nations in the region likely.
Chinese Foreign Minister and state councillor Wang Yi is likely to make a surprise visit to Solomon Islands in coming weeks, in another sign Beijing is intent on cementing security and commercial ties with the Pacific island nation while Canberra is consumed by the federal election.
The visit is not expected to happen this week but is likely to occur later in May, potentially before the federal election next weekend.One federal government source told the ABC they believed it was likely Mr Wang would travel to Honiara as part of a broader visit to a number of Pacific island countries, but added that some of the plans may still be in flux.
One government source told the ABC Mr Wang would lead a large Chinese delegation and the two countries would likely sign a host of new agreements during the trip. The news of his visit comes in the wake of a regional meeting on the China-Solomon Islands agreement, which was held at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Fiji's capital Suva on Tuesday.
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