we, the citizens, are in the middle of it

Truth.

I'd quibble with this statement, however:

This has been combined with a media narrative of extreme paranoia claiming, without due evidence, that China is set to build a naval base on the islands and poses a direct military threat to Australia in turn.

The Chinese have been eyeing more than just the Solomon Islands for naval bases for years.

I wish them luck - hopefully the US is too busy on other fronts to carry out a bloody regime change.