Fiji leader’s visit gives China chance to restore trust after ‘biggest failure’ in Pacific
- Beijing may have realised it had been a ‘bit insensitive’ after Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka revisited police deal, analyst says
Beijing is expected to seek to deepen security ties and restore trust with Fiji when Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka visits China this week.
At the time of the review, Rabuka – who ousted long-time leader Frank Bainimarama in the 2022 election – said he saw “no need” for the deal.
He said: “If our systems and our values differ, what cooperation can we get from them? We need to look at that again before we decide whether we go back to it, or if we continue the way that we have in the past by cooperating with those who have similar democratic values and systems.”
Fiji eventually upheld the agreement – which also saw Fijian officers being trained in China while Beijing provided equipment such as surveillance gear and drones – but Chinese police will no longer be deployed inside Fiji.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China hoped the visit, which ends on August 21, would bring the partnership with Fiji to “a new level” and “build an ever closer community”.
