Episode Notes:

On Aug. 29, the government of the Solomon Islands announced it was temporarily suspending all visits from foreign naval vessels. This comes after a leaked agreement in March raised fears over growing Chinese influence in the country.

Joining us to discuss what this means is Alex Gray. Alex is a senior fellow in national security affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council and managing partner at American Global Strategies. He previously served as deputy assistant to the President and chief of staff of the National Security Council at the White House.

[:18] Intro

[:53] Ending Naval Visits

[3:50] Solomon Islands' Domestic Situation

[6:20] Strategic Importance

[10:25] U.S. response