Two more Solomon Islands politicians aired their concerns with Australian officials about China’s pursuit of a security pact before it became public last month, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison fended off fresh criticism Canberra had not done enough to stop the deal.

Regional alarm over the agreement – which intelligence officials fear could lead to a Chinese military base in the South Pacific – continues to mount, with Japan to send a vice minister with responsibility for foreign affairs to Honiara for urgent talks, according to news reports out of Tokyo.