Yesterday we brought you the news that PM Scott Morrison had chatted to his AUKUS counterparts in London and Washington about getting our hands on some hypersonic missiles that can travel 2,000km. Overnight China responded by accusing the western countries of trying to build an “Asia-Pacific version of NATO” – the western military alliance between Europe and America. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the cooperation would “undermine peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” and likened AUKUS to an “Anglo-Saxon clique” that other Asia-Pacific countries were opposed to. It’s also emerged that 2 of Oz’s top intelligence chiefs have quietly travelled to Solomon Islands to meet PM Manasseh Sogavare and raise the government’s deep concerns over a proposed security pact it’s poised to sign with China. That deal would allow China to deploy troops to the Solomons, and allow Chinese warships to stop over during naval exercises. Sogavare’s office issued a statement calling it a “positive” meeting.

Want to know more about the Solomon Islands and China? Today’s new Squiz Shortcut is for you, catching you up on Oz’s peacekeeping mission in the 2000s and where China fits into the mix now.