‘No role’ for China in policing Pacific islands, Australian minister says

There are no Australian police in Kiribati, although Canberra has pledged to fund a new police radio network, police barracks and two maritime security advisers are supporting Kiribati police to maintain a donated patrol boat.

“We are aware that they are seeking a greater security role in the Pacific, and we have been consistent in our view that there is no role for China in policing, or broader security, in the Pacific,” Conroy said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday.

Pacific Island leaders had agreed in 2022 at a meeting of the Pacific Island Forum regional bloc to fill any security gaps from within the “Pacific family”, he said.

Chinese police have been deployed in the Solomon Islands since 2022.

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Canberra is funding a regional police training centre in Papua New Guinea for this purpose, he said.

“That is a model going forward – when the Pacific comes together to support the security needs and aspirations of other Pacific countries. Australia plays a role, but we may not always lead it,” he said.

The US State Department on Monday cautioned Pacific Island countries against importing security forces from China, which “risks fuelling regional and international tensions”, and several US Senators also expressed concern about Chinese police in Kiribati.

China has not responded to a Reuters request for comment on the role of its police in Kiribati.

China’s ambassador to Australia said last month that China had a strategy to form policing ties with Pacific Island countries to help maintain social order, and this should not cause Australia anxiety.