The US Congress is concerned about the Solomon Islands' security pact with China, and politicians on both sides are alarming over the deal.
Democrat Joe Courtney - a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the so-called AUKUS caucus, compared the situation to China's activity in the South China Sea.
He said the movie was the best we have seen before when China promised President Obama in 2015 that the island-building would not result in a militarised presence.
They've broken that promise. I think that the West should be extremely sceptical because of the experience, and any attempt to sugar coat what China's intentions are here. The US would respond to any signs of China establishing a permanent military presence in Solomon Islands, while Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the possibility of a base as a red line while his GOP colleague, Marco Rubio, criticised the way the US had handled its relationships with the region.
While this and previous administrations ignored the Pacific Islands, the Chinese Communist Party quietly worked to claim the allegiance of our partners in this critical area, Senator Rubio said in a statement.
In the years to come, it will be more important for the United States to work closely with Australia to prevent the Chinese Communist Party from establishing a military presence that threatens us and our allies.
The Chinese Communist Party plans to establish hegemony first in the region and eventually the world. Mr Courtney said there was legitimate criticism of the decision to shut down the US embassy in Honiara nearly 30 years ago, especially considering the sacred place that Solomon Islands had held since the Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II.
Approximately 1,600 Americans died during the battle for the island as the US tried to prevent Japan from disrupting supply routes to Australia.
It's not a coincidence that Guadalcanal was one of the most significant military victories in World War II, because of its situation, because of its place in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
I think both Australia and the US need to redouble their efforts to track this and change it to the greatest extent possible.
It's alarming because I think it will turn into what we saw with manmade islands, a military presence by China, and in terms of their policy of sea control. The US promises to speed-track the reopening of its embassy in Honiara, as well as provide more medical support to the country.