THE GREAT GAME
According to Mihai Sora of the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, Wednesday’s announcement was a diplomatic victory for Australia and for the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc which had appeared deeply divided on the topic.
China’s Pacific allies – most notably Vanuatu and Solomon Islands – had voiced concern that the policing plan represented a “geo-strategic denial security doctrine”, designed to box out Beijing.
While all members of the forum have endorsed the deal in principle, national leaders will have to decide how much they participate, if at all.
Tonga’s Sovaleni said Pacific nations will “have the discretion to choose how they would contribute to and benefit”.
Asked about the deal on Wednesday, Beijing said it welcomed “all parties’ efforts for Pacific Island countries’ development and prosperity”.
“China’s cooperation with Pacific Island countries on police, law enforcement, and in other fields is normal cooperation between sovereign countries,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
“It complies with international law and norms and isn’t aimed at, or constrained by, any third party,” he added.
PARTNER OF CHOICE?
Australia and New Zealand have historically been the region’s go-to security partners, leading peacekeeping missions in Solomon Islands and training in Nauru, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Policing, however, has increasingly become a cornerstone of Beijing’s efforts to build Pacific influence.
China tried and failed to ink a region-wide security pact in 2022, but has since been plying some under-resourced Pacific police forces with martial arts training and fleets of Chinese-made vehicles.
Australia and longtime ally the United States were caught napping in 2022 when China secretly signed a security pact with Solomon Islands – the details of which have not been made public.
