US Cautions Pacific Island Nations After Kiribati Gets Chinese Police

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Facts

  • The US State Department warned Pacific Island countries against law enforcement assistance from Beijing on Monday, adding that importing Chinese security forces risks prompting diplomatic tensions, as the PRC allegedly conducts a campaign of transnational repression worldwide.1
  • This comes after Reuters reported that up to a dozen uniformed Chinese police officers have been working in the remote Pacific atoll nation of Kiribati on a six-month rotation since last year. Tarawa hasn't publicly announced any policing deal with Beijing.2
  • According to Kiribati's acting police commissioner, the Chinese delegation helps in community policing upon request and supports a crime database program.3
  • Though the Chinese Embassy named the leader of the Chinese police station in Kiribati in a social media post last month, the police commissioner has denied its existence in the strategically located nation near Hawaii.4
  • When asked about the claims, China's foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday claimed to be unaware of 'the specifics' of the cooperation, stressing that Beijing engages with 'relevant countries' based on mutual respect and inclusiveness.5
  • China has gained increasing influence in Oceania recently, with the island nation of Nauru also flipping from Taipei to Beijing last month.6

Sources: 1Independent, 2Reuters, 3NBC, 4Taipei Times, 5Fmprc and 6South China Morning Post.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by The Hill. While the US Congress fails to honor America's financial commitments to its allies, Beijing has successfully turned the Pacific Ocean — one island and archipelago at a time — into its own backyard. If the PRC is left unchecked, it will soon be able to block American shipping and aircraft and put Hawaii and the US territories within striking distance.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. The West and its media, driven by Cold War mentality, are once again attempting to disrupt regular cooperation between China and a sovereign Pacific Island nation. While the two countries have no security deal, Kiribati has long requested technical assistance from Beijing to bolster its law enforcement capacity to meet the challenges of accelerated urbanization.

Predictions