Anthony Albanese begins a long Pacific tour this week ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Solomon Islands, as the battle for influence between China and Australia continues to create headlines.

It comes amid a flurry of gift-giving between China and Australia that has highlighted — on what one expert labelled an almost “comical” level — the tit-for-tat efforts by both countries to exert influence on the ground in Honiara ahead of the meeting.