Australia has announced a significant investment of 190 million Australian dollars (approximately $118 million) over the next four years to enhance the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and establish a police training center in Honiara.

The funding aims to strengthen the Solomon Islands police force, which has expressed a desire to double its number of officers to around 3,000.

The Australian Labor Party previously criticized this 2022 deal as a significant foreign policy failure for Australia in the Pacific, highlighting the urgency of the current investment.

Albanese clarified that the funding is not contingent upon the expulsion of Chinese police from the Solomon Islands, distinguishing it from previous agreements.

In December 2024, a police training hub was opened in Brisbane to support deployments of Pacific police, with over 200 officers having completed training since July.

This partnership aims to bolster the Solomon Islands' domestic security and enhance its role in regional stability.

This initiative is part of the broader Pacific Policing Initiative, which involves a total commitment of $400 million from Australia to improve policing across the Pacific region over five years.

The announcement comes in response to concerns regarding a security pact signed between the Solomon Islands and China in 2022, which has raised fears of a potential Chinese military presence in the region.

Experts suggest that while the new agreement is beneficial for the Solomon Islands' law and justice sector, it does not signify a substantial shift away from its ongoing partnership with China.

Australia maintains that security in the Pacific should be managed by regional countries and has ruled out the presence of Chinese police forces in the area.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that the Solomon Islands is a sovereign nation and that Australia aims to be a preferred security partner without imposing conditions.

Albanese initiated discussions with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele during his first overseas visit to Australia, emphasizing the importance of the Solomon Islands' primary responsibility for its security.