Fiji reconsiders security ties with China amid Pacific tensions

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Fiji’s leader indicated his nation is reconsidering its security ties with China at a time that geopolitical tensions in the Pacific are rising. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said Fiji was reviewing a contentious police cooperation agreement it signed with China in 2011 which has allowed Chinese police officers to be stationed in Fiji. China and the U.S. have increased their competition for influence in the Pacific in recent years. Last month the U.S. signed a new security pact with Papua New Guinea. Last year, Solomon Islands signed its own security pact with China, a move that raised alarm throughout the Pacific.