Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will travel to Solomon Islands on Friday for discussions with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and senior members of his cabinet.
The new Australian government says it was committed to deepening cooperation with the Solomon Islands on shared challenges, including the progress on pandemic recovery, economic development and labour mobility priorities, and addressing shared security interests.
The Solomon Islands security pact, as well as a proposal by China for a sweeping security and trade agreement with 10 Pacific islands nations, will be discussed at next month's Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Suva, several island nations have said.
China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, met with Mr Sogavare in Honiara last month, as part of an eight-nation Pacific tour, agreeing to deepen cooperation between China and Solomon Islands in fisheries, mining, infrastructure and trade.
Mr Wang said the security pact with the Solomon Islands would improve policing and protect Chinese citizens and institutions there.
"China supports Pacific Island countries in strengthening security cooperation and working together to address regional security challenges," he said during the visit.
Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States have said they are concerned Beijing could establish a military presence in the Pacific, although Mr Sogavare has denied the pact would allow a military base.
Fiji told a security conference in Singapore over the weekend that climate change was the most pressing security concern for the Pacific islands.
With ABC Australia