China firm wins tender to redevelop Solomon Islands port -official

The Solomon Islands has awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to a Chinese state company to upgrade an international port in Honiara in a project funded by the Asian Development Bank.
Mike Qaqara of the infrastructure development ministry said, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) was the only company to submit a bid in the competitive tender.
The Solomon Islands struck a security pact with Beijing last year, prompting concern from the United States and its allies, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan, over China’s ambitions to build a naval base in the region.
However, the Solomon Islands and China have denied the security pact would allow a naval base.