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Exclusive-China seeks Pacific islands policing, security cooperation

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© Reuters. FILEPHOTO: Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Yi poses before taking a photograph with U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the G20 summit, Rome, Italy. October 31, 2021. Tiziana Fabi/Pool via REUTERS

Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – China is seeking a regional deal with nearly a dozen Pacific islands to improve security, policing and communications. This will be the case when Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, hosts a meeting in Fiji next Wednesday, according to documents seen by Reuters.

At least one country has objected to a draft communique and five year action plan that Beijing sent to 10 Pacific islands in advance of a meeting of foreign ministers on May 30, which was held. It claimed it demonstrated China’s intention to dominate the region and threatens regional stability.

Federated States of Micronesia president David Panuelo stated in a letter to 21 Pacific leaders that his nation will reject the “pre-determined communique”. He fears this could lead to a new Cold War with China.

Wang will be visiting eight Pacific island countries with whom China maintains diplomatic ties between May 26th, and June 4.

On Thursday, he arrives in Solomon Islands. The Solomon Islands recently signed security agreements with China, despite opposition from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. They fear that it will upset regional security arrangements, and allow China to have a strong military presence in the Pacific.

Beijing denies this. It claims that the agreement is focused only on domestic police and western criticism was being used to interfere in Solomon Island’s sovereignty decision-making.

China’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately reply to our request for comment on the document. This is the first instance of it being reported.

FSM, which is part of a defense agreement with the United States and an economic cooperation deal with China, did not respond to Reuters’s request for comment.

NEW VISION

The signing of a region-wide agreement on security and commerce between China’s Pacific islands and China would shift Beijing’s attention from bilateral to multilateral relations. This would increase Washington’s concerns.

Beijing has circulated the China Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision draft document as well as an action plan for five years ahead of Fiji meeting.

The statement states that China and the Pacific Islands will increase their cooperation and exchanges in traditional and non-traditional security.

According to Reuters, “China will provide high-quality police training in the Pacific Islands Countries using bilateral and multilateral methods.”

This action plan proposes a ministerial dialog on police cooperation and law enforcement capability to take place in 2022. China will provide forensic police labs.

In addition, the draft communique pledges cooperation to cyber security, data networks, smart customs, and to Pacific islands “to take a balanced approach towards technological progress, economic growth, and protection of national safety”.

Huawei, the Chinese telecoms firm, is currently barred from access to 5G networks operated by several U.S. allies. Several attempts by Huawei to establish submarine cables and run mobile networks in Pacific islands in Australia or the United States, offering rival bids, have been repeatedly blocked by US officials citing national security concerns.

In addition, the communique proposes a China Pacific Islands Free Trade Area and supports action on climate change.

Panuelo wrote to the other leaders that the communique would move the Pacific Islands who have diplomatic relations to China into Beijing’s orbit. This will “very closely tie the entire of our economies to them”.

Panuelo spoke out about the possibility of Pacific islands becoming embroiled in geopolitical war as tensions increase between China and America over Taiwan.

“The practical consequences of Chinese control over our communication infrastructure and ocean territory as well the resources therein and our security area, apart from impacting our sovereignty is that it increases China’s chances of getting into conflict, with Australia, Japan and the United States,” he stated.

China providing customs systems could lead to the “biodata collection of all those who reside in or enter our islands” he said.

Panuelo stated that Australia’s failure to act on climate change was the most serious security threat facing the region.

Anthony Albanese, the new Prime Minister of Australia, pledged to boost climate finance to Pacific island nations this week. He said that climate change is the biggest economic and security threat to low-lying islands countries.

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