China-Fiji police cooperation pact restored, ‘showing genuine help’
▶ Deal stems from ‘strong demand’ of Pacific Island countries
After reviewing a policing cooperation deal with China for a year, Fiji decided to maintain the cooperation despite Pacific Islands countries (PICs) are facing mounting pressure from some former colonial powers such as the US and Australia, which reflects that such cooperation, fundamentally different from that with Western countries, stems from the strong demand of the PICs, Chinese experts said.
It also shows that the motivation behind the police cooperation is selfless and can genuinely help improve local security, which will contribute to creating a favorable business environment for Chinese-funded enterprises and Chinese businesspeople in the area, representing a tangible mutual benefit, experts noted.
After some media reported on Saturday that Fiji will uphold a policing cooperation with China after it had reviewed it for 12 months amid concern from Australia, the Global Times confirmed with the Chinese Embassy in Fiji on Sunday that the China-Fiji police cooperation has been restored.
The agreement allows for cooperation in a range of areas including the exchange of intelligence, visits, training and the supply of equipment, according to media reports.
The police cooperation between China and PICs is rooted in the strong demand of those countries, said Chen Hong, executive director of Asia Pacific Studies Centre at East China Normal University.
“Western countries imposed their old governance systems on the local areas without any adjustments, which resulted in them being implemented without truly taking root. This caused a governance vacuum in these countries after the colonial era ended,” he said.
“Former colonial powers like the US and Australia have also engaged in police cooperation with island nations, but their focus has been on how to strengthen control over local military, police and governments. In contrast, China’s cooperation with these island countries emphasizes enhancing law enforcement and crime-fighting capabilities without interfering in domestic affairs,” Yu Lei, a professor at Shandong University, told the Global Times.
This cooperation with China is highly regarded by local societies but is not welcomed by countries like the US and Australia. This is mainly because, after cooperating with China, the island nations now have a point of comparison and, whether in terms of technology or public sentiment, are more inclined to cooperate with China, Yu said.
China’s increasing presence in the South Pacific has caught the attention and even the anxiety of the US and Australia. They have traditionally viewed the South Pacific as their sphere of influence, intending to turn the region into a base for containing China, experts said.