‘Issue of sovereignty’
Fiji-China policing agreement continues following extensive review
THE continuation of Fiji’s policing agreement with China has come about following an extensive review.
And Home Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua has emphasised this does not mean Fiji is “selling its national security”.
Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Mr Tikoduadua said both Fiji and China were sovereign nations with ways of interacting with each other, whether through a pact, cooperation agreement, a Memorandum of Agreement, or Memorandum of
Understanding.
“It’s a normal thing but I think unfortunately, a lot of this has been misconstrued because people do not quite understand the background of how relationships do exist between countries,” he said.
“Let me go to the public security one. I want to confirm that we are only continuing with the agreement that is already in place.
“We said we would review it and we have reviewed it. We have decided that we will continue the agreement that is there but one thing you must also note is that this is the issue of sovereignty; the integrity of our own sovereignty.”
Mr Tikoduadua said such agreements did not impose conditions on the other party, as it was subject to the other party’s acceptance of the proposal.
“For instance, there is a lot of talk about how (in 2017) they bundled up so many people in a plane. That is a (matter of) process. We have it with every other country.
“Every country needs to come through (our) process. Under my watch and this Government, that’s going to be followed.
“If China or anybody else for that matter is going to request for whatever reason, the repatriation or extradition of somebody, there are laws to follow in Fiji. That’s what I am going to follow. That has to be made clear.”
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Fiji said both countries had signed a MOU which significantly promoted the exchanges and cooperation of law enforcement and police cooperation between the two countries.
The embassy stated that Chinese and Fijian police worked together for joint investigations on specific transnational crimes, and that apart from Fiji, China had carried out similar police cooperation with countries in Asia and Europe.
“China’s police cooperation with any country in the world is conducted in strict accordance with international law, with full respect for the laws and judicial sovereignty of other countries,” the embassy stated.
“China’s police cooperation with Fiji doesn’t target any other country, nor should it be disrupted by other countries.
“As a sovereign country, Fiji has the right to make its own judgment on whether ChinaFiji police cooperation is good or not, and whether it should be continued.”