Australia urges Pacific police force to counter China’s influence in the region

Australia's initiative comes amid concerns over China's expanding police presence in Pacific island nations, particularly Solomon Islands

Papua New Guinea said on Wednesday it supported the creation of a multinational Pacific police force, a landmark proposal pushed by Australia that could significantly blunt China's regional ambitions.

Under the so-called Pacific Policing Initiative, a multinational force would be drawn from across the Pacific islands and based in northern Australia.

The creation of such a force could seriously hamstring China's own efforts to sign policing and security agreements with Pacific states.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"We support the initiative," Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said as the region's leaders met in Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum.

Some Pacific nations - particularly those considered closer to China - have voiced unease over the plan, which Australia hopes to sew up before the forum ends this week.

It would reportedly create a force of some 200 officers that would be dispatched to regional hotspots and disaster zones as needed.

Tkatchenko said regional heavyweight Papua New Guinea would "work together with Australia" to implement the proposal.

Australia has historically been the region's go-to security partner, leading peacekeeping missions in Solomon Islands and training in Nauru, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

But policing has increasingly become a cornerstone of Beijing's efforts to build Pacific influence.

China has been plying under-resourced Pacific police forces with martial arts training and fleets of Chinese-made vehicles.

It already maintains a small but conspicuous police presence in Solomon Islands, sending a revolving cadre of officers to train locals in shooting and riot tactics.

Gleaming new police vehicles roam the capital Honiara emblazoned with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force badge and stark red "China Aid" stickers.

Earlier this year, Beijing also started sending teams of police advisers to Kiribati.

Solomon Islands is one of the nations that has voiced concern over Australia's plan, seemingly suspicious it could inflame unfolding regional rivalries.

But a second senior Pacific security source said on Wednesday they were confident these anxieties would be calmed and the initiative would go ahead.

Australia and long-time ally the United States were caught napping in 2022 when China signed a murky security pact with Solomon Islands.

There are fears China may one day parlay this agreement into a permanent military foothold in the region.

China's efforts have typically centred on police as most Pacific island nations do not have a military, according to analyst Peter Connolly.

This allowed China to plug the gap - and curry diplomatic favour - when Pacific nations were beset by "civil unrest and climate-related crisis", Connolly wrote for the National Bureau of Asian Research earlier this year.

"In a state with no military, police advisers are often the only means for delivering security statecraft."