BANGKOK: A United States Coast Guard cutter conducting patrols as part of an international mission to prevent illegal fishing was recently unable to get clearance for a scheduled port call in the Solomon Islands, an incident that comes amid growing concerns of Chinese influence on the Pacific nation.

The cutter Oliver Henry was taking part in Operation Island Chief monitoring fishing activities in the Pacific, which ended on Friday, when it sought to make a scheduled stop at the Solomons' Guadalcanal island to refuel and reprovision, the Coast Guard office in Honolulu, Hawaii said.