China trains Solomon Islands police as security pact deepens

First group of officers completed a month-long training program under security co-operation deal that has raised concerns over Beijing’s increasing influence in South Pacific.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Picture: Getty

Police from the Solomon Islands have been trained in China under a deal on security co-operation that has raised concerns over Beijing’s increasing influence in the South Pacific.

The first group of 32 officers completed a month-long training program at a police college in the southeastern province of Fujian, where they covered topics such as weapon techniques, guarding VIPs and policing large-scale events.

“These trainings are scenario-based, where officers are tested to make plans and decisions to respond to these levels of real and complex situations,” the Solomon Islands government said in a statement.

Details of the deal signed by Beijing and Honiara this year have not been made public but a draft leaked in March suggested that, as well as training, China could send armed police and military personnel to the islands on request. President Xi’s regime is also endeavouring to step up its business and investment ties in the island nation.

China Police Liason Team officers train local RSIPF officers. Picture: AFP/Royal Solomon Islands Police Force

Australia, which has previously provided training and assistance to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), has warned of deepening ties between the two nations. The Solomon Islands, which has a population of about 700,000, lies east of Papua New Guinea and was the target of an Allied campaign during the Second World War.

During their visit to China, the RSIPF officers visited police stations and training sites and were provided with an overview of security plans for the Beijing Olympic Games and the 2016 G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou, which would help Honiara to prepare for the 2023 Pacific Games, the statement said.

In April, Andrew Shearer, director-general of Australia’s Office of National Intelligence, said Canberra was concerned that Chinese police sent to the Solomon Islands could deploy “ruthless” techniques previously used to quell anti-government protests in Hong Kong. “In such a fragile, volatile country, Chinese policing techniques and tactics that we’ve seen deployed so ruthlessly in Hong Kong, for example, are completely inconsistent with the Pacific way of resolving issues and could incite further instability and violence in the Solomon Islands.”

China has also sent police trainers to the Solomon Islands and provided police equipment. However, Beijing and Honiara have insisted that the security pact would not lead to China establishing a military base in the archipelago.

“I feel safer. I feel safer,” Manasseh Sogavare, the prime minister, said in July when his country’s police officers demonstrated new skills learnt from the Chinese to deal with public disorder such as riots, as well as criminal attacks.

In September, the Solomon Islands rejected the initial draft of a United States-Pacific partnership declaration, saying it was “not comfortable” with some indirect references to China. It signed the final declaration, however.

A statement by the Chinese embassy in the Solomon Islands said that RSIPF officers visited four police stations in Fujian for “in-depth research and exchange”. The training trip was “successfully completed” and achieved the expected results, it added.

The Times