“As Prime Minister Sogavare has said,our partnership is based on our shared duty to ensure that our region remains peaceful,prosperous and stable.”

Strahan stressed that the “firearms come with stringent training and rigorous safeguards,including concerning safe and secure storage”.

Mihai Sora,a former Australian diplomat posted in Honiara,said:“This certainly looks like Australia is engaging in an arms race with China in Solomon Islands in terms of who can be the biggest supporter of its security forces.

“It is significant. The optics are pretty openly geopolitical in intent.”

Sora said there were concerns the weapons could be used to suppress unrest linked to the nation’s elections,but that it was better for Australia to arm Solomons police than Beijing.

Protests in Honiara calling on Sogavare to resignturned violent last November,morphing into deadly riots that required the intervention of Australian security forces and local police.

The AFP said in a statement it was providing the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) with the rifles and vehicles to counter criminal threats and maintain peace and stability.

Australian police will also offer training in the identifying suspicious behaviour and criminal activities.

“The AFP is proud to be the Solomon Islands’ security partner of choice and will continue to work closely with RSIPF officers to ensure they are trained and equipped to provide the Solomon Islands community with an efficient,modern police force,” AFP acting commander Clinton Smith said.

AFP acting deputy commissioner of operations Lesa Gale said Australia was helping Solomon Islands prepare for important upcoming events such as the2023 Pacific Games and2024 elections.

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