Six members of Beijing’s police ministry are currently in Tonga discussing security arrangements for the regional forum. Tonga has accepted Beijing’s offer to assist with security at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) leaders’ meeting in August, causing concern among Australian authorities who see this as part of a plan to embed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officers and training teams in police forces across the South Pacific.
Tonga’s Police Commissioner Shane McLennan has confirmed that the six officers from Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) came from Shandong Province and were following up on a meeting between CCP personnel and South Pacific police ministers and chiefs in December 2023. While the MPS delegation had a broader agenda for police cooperation, the primary focus was on how Beijing police could help Tonga host the Forum.
Commissioner McLennan mentioned that they are exploring assistance with resources, particularly vehicles and motorcycles for Tongan police, as well as potential training in motorcade operations, all centered on security operations for PIF.
New Zealand and Australia are already providing security assistance to Tonga, with Commissioner McLennan stating that he would only allow Beijing to embed police among his officers if they offered help not already available. Discussions are ongoing about other ways the MPS may be able to assist.
Despite the United States urging regional governments not to enter security pacts with Beijing, Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni reassured that there is nothing to fear from Beijing’s offer. He mentioned that if training is deemed necessary by the Tongan police, they will accept the offer.
Beijing has already stationed a China Police Liaison Team (CPLT) in the Solomon Islands and Chinese officers are collaborating with their counterparts in Kiribati. This push by Beijing into the South Pacific has raised concerns among Australia and the United States, who fear that Beijing could use its presence to monitor Chinese expatriates and local elites.
Australia’s Minister for the Pacific has stated that Beijing should have no role in policing Pacific island states, advocating for security assistance to come from other members of the “Pacific family” like Australia and New Zealand. The situation is evolving, with some Pacific island nations like Fiji and Nauru responding differently to China’s influence and offers of assistance. Please rephrase.
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