After a year-long review, Fiji has decided to maintain its policing cooperation with China, defying pressure from former colonial powers like the US and Australia, signaling a genuine demand for such cooperation from Pacific Island countries (PICs), experts observed.
The decision underscores the selfless nature of the cooperation, aimed at enhancing local security and fostering a conducive business environment for Chinese-funded enterprises and businesspeople in the region, experts noted.
Reports emerged on Saturday indicating Fiji’s decision to uphold the policing cooperation with China after a 12-month review, confirmed by the Chinese Embassy in Fiji on Sunday.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka had initially suspended the decade-old police cooperation deal upon assuming office in December 2022, citing differences in policing, investigations, and legal systems, Reuters reported.
The agreement facilitates cooperation in intelligence exchange, visits, training, and equipment supply, with Fijian officers to receive training in China without Chinese officers embedded in the Fiji police force, as stated by Fiji’s home affairs minister, Pio Tikoduadua.
The roots of China’s police cooperation with PICs lie in the strong demand from these nations, explained Chen Hong, executive director of Asia Pacific Studies Center at East China Normal University. Chen highlighted the governance vacuum left by Western colonial rule and the ongoing tribal conflicts within PICs, necessitating support to bolster local governance capabilities.
While former colonial powers like the US and Australia have engaged in similar cooperation, China’s approach prioritizes enhancing law enforcement and crime-fighting capabilities without interfering in domestic affairs, noted Yu Lei, a professor at Shandong University.
However, China’s increasing presence in the South Pacific has raised concerns among the US, which seeks to maintain influence in the region through diplomatic missions in countries like Vanuatu and Kiribati, reported Reuters.
Western powers have obstructed China’s cooperation with PICs, portraying it as military cooperation and attempting to smear its image, Chen observed. Their interference has prompted new governments in PICs to scrutinize cooperation agreements with China, highlighting the challenges in navigating external pressures while pursuing mutually beneficial partnerships.