Australia ‘lost its way’ in the Pacific as China scaled up influence, says ex-envoy to Solomon Islands

• Retired career diplomat Trevor Sofield said it was ‘inconceivable’ that the Solomons did not trust Australia enough to consult it about the China security pact
• ‘We had a vision’, the former high commissioner told a security summit. ‘But we’ve lost that vision and we’ve lost that trust that we developed over time’