Last week Fiji’s prime minister suddenly announced a plan to terminate a security agreement with China dating to 2011
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskNerves are more likely to be jangling now among Chinese officials. On January 25th they suffered one of their worst setbacks in the region when Sitiveni Rabuka, Fiji’s prime minister, suddenly announced that he would terminate a security agreement with China dating to 2011. It had allowed Fijian police officers to train in China and Chinese officers to work in Fiji for up to six months at a time.
Mr Bainimarama lost an election in December. He initially conceded defeat but later backtracked, calling for senior officials to refuse the new government’s demand that they resign. In the election’s aftermath, the police chief called in the armed forces, citing a risk of ethnic unrest. That raised fears of another coup. Fiji has seen four since its independence from Britain in 1970—including two by Mr Rabuka.
Even so, the termination of China’s deal is a geopolitical win for America and its allies. China has recently sought to upgrade its links in the Pacific in a bid to contest America’s influence and establish a military foothold there. Though it denies seeking a base, China has probably approached Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands about one, the Pentagon says.
Since China’s Solomons deal, America and its allies have stepped up their diplomatic and economic engagement in the region. President Joe Biden hosted 12 Pacific leaders at the White House in September. They agreed to work together to build a region in which “democracy will be able to flourish”. America also pledged to provide an additional $810m in aid to the region.
Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, has been active too, visiting several Pacific nations, including Fiji. In October Australia and Fiji signed agreements on expanding police co-operation and deploying military forces on each other’s territory. The Chinese government, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with its agreement with the Solomons, which sent 32 police officers to train in China in October. China also held a virtual meeting with police officials from six Pacific countries in November.
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