According to a poll released on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is struggling to close the gap with the main opposition ahead of a general election, despite criticism of his management of a security treaty between China and the Solomon Islands.

In a poll for The Australian newspaper, center-left Labor maintained its 53-47 lead over the conservative Liberal-National coalition on a two-party preferred basis, but Morrison extended his lead as the preferred leader.

National security has dominated the election campaign in Australia, which goes to the polls on May 21, after China struck a security arrangement with the Solomon Islands last week, causing anxiety in Canberra and Washington.

Morrison, who has frequently criticized Labor for being “soft” on China, claimed the opposition was “playing politics with the Pacific, and the only ones who gain… are the Chinese government.”

China creating a base in the Solomon Islands would be a “red line” for Australia, Morrison warned on Sunday, despite Beijing’s insistence that the treaty would merely help the Solomon Islands maintain social order and cope with natural disasters and humanitarian relief.

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