Fiji's leader says his nation is reconsidering its security ties with China. This development comes at a time when geopolitical tensions are rising in the Pacific.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji is reviewing a policing agreement it signed with China in 2011. It allowed Chinese police officers to be stationed in Fiji.
During a news conference last week in Wellington with his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins, Rabuka appeared to go one step further by referring to Fiji's “discontinuation” of the agreement.
Rabuka said Fiji is finalizing a defense agreement with New Zealand, which it expects to complete this week. He said it would allow Fiji's military to build its capacity and skill and be exposed to new technologies.
Rabuka said there has been a lot of geopolitical focus on the region.
But he also added that Pacific countries only worry about militarization “when diplomacy and common neighborly discussions fail.”
Rabuka won a close election in December over Frank Bainimarama, who had held power in Fiji for 16 years. Since then, Rabuka has distanced himself from some of Bainimarama's policies, including forging closer ties with China.
Meanwhile, Bainimarama now faces criminal charges of abuse of power — along with his former police commissioner, who oversaw the China policing agreement.
