She raised concern while meeting  her Solomon Islands counterpart.

"Australia is deeply disappointed by the signing of a security cooperation agreement between Solomon Islands and China, announced by the Chinese Government," Payne said in a statement.

"Our consistently stated view, including from the perspective of Australia’s national interests, remains that the Pacific family is best placed to meet the security needs of the region," she said.

"We are concerned about the lack of transparency with which this agreement has been developed, noting its potential to undermine stability in our region. We continue to seek further clarity on the terms of the agreement, and its consequences for the Pacific region," she said.

She said: " We welcome recent statements from Prime Minister Sogavare that Australia is Solomon Islands security partner of choice, and his commitment that Solomon Islands will never be used for military bases or other military institutions of foreign powers."