"It is to present our image as a responsible big country", navy spokesperson Liu Wensheng said in a statement. China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year and hopes to build similar ties with other Pacific countries. Its foreign minister has said relations with the Solomon Islands can serve as a model. The United States has pledged to triple funding for the region and it opened an embassy in the Solomon Islands in February after a 30-year absence. In May, the U.S. opened an embassy in Tonga and signed a defence pact with Papua New Guinea.

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Persons: Liu Wensheng, Solomon, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Robert Birsel Organizations: United, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, East Timor, United States, Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Papua New Guinea