The federal government is urging Solomon Islands to reconsider signing a military pact which could see Chinese naval bases on Australia's doorstep.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he respects Solomon Islands' sovereignty, but is working to ensure it is "fully aware of the risks" facing the Pacific.
Alarm bells were sounded in Canberra in March, when a leaked draft security agreement seemed to pave the way for Beijing to build bases in Solomon Islands - giving Chinese warships a platform from which to deploy in Australia's immediate region.
Minister for the Pacific Zed Seselja was forced to leave a hotly contested ACT Senate race on Tuesday evening, jetting to Honiara for a day of urgent talks with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
Mr Seselja said Australia remained "firmly" of the view the Pacific family could meet its own security needs, citing its support for Solomon Islands during violent unrest late last year.
"We have asked Solomon Islands respectfully to consider not signing the agreement and to consult the Pacific family in the spirit of regional openness and transparency, consistent with our region's security frameworks," he said.
Mr Morrison on Wednesday warned against a "heavy-handed" approach, saying Mr Seselja had been dispatched raise Australia's concerns "politely".
But he warned security threats in the region affected Australia and its Pacific neighbours.
"The suggestion that Australia should be heavy-handed on these matters, I think, is wrongheaded. It completely misunderstands how these matters should be handled," he said.
"They are a sovereign nation. I respect their independence, and they will make their own decisions about their own sovereignty.
"What we have been doing is ensuring that they are fully aware of the risks."
Australia has been at loggerheads with its Pacific neighbours over climate change, an existential threat to the region, and has been accused of "dropping the ball" in its handling of the relationship with Honiara.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne was yet to travel to Solomon Islands since the memorandum was made public, despite Honiara saying the deal would be "cleaned up" and soon signed.
But the Prime Minister insisted she had been in contact with her counterparts.
Washington was also reportedly alarmed by the draft agreement, with the nominee for US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy telling Senate estimates the country's embassy in Honiara "can't come soon enough".
Mr Morrison said Washington had not raised any concerns over the government's handling of the region.
Ukraine 'genocide' question
The Prime Minister also declined to answer when pressed on whether Russia was committing "genocide" in Ukraine.
In in a sharpening of Washington's rhetoric this morning, US President Joe Biden joined Kyiv in accusing Russia of genocide, the first time he has used the term.
Australia was working to verify reports of a chemical weapons attack in Mariupol, but Mr Morrison stopped short of labelling Russian atrocities genocide.
"There is no doubt in my view that all crimes and atrocities are being committed in Ukraine by Russia," Mr Morrison said.
"There is no doubt that is occurring, and Vladimir Putin must be held to account for those crimes and atrocities."
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Moscow has denied committing atrocities in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, where image analysis and witness testimony suggested Russian troops carried out mass executions of civilians. Survivors have also told media of systemic rape committed by Russian forces in the town.
Australia has dispatched two investigators to assist an International Criminal Court probe into potential war crimes in Ukraine.
Mr Morrison said Australia had "quite a lot" of experience investigating Russia, after pro-Kremlin forces were found to have downed the passenger flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014.