China said it held a video meeting to discuss police cooperation with several Pacific island nations on Tuesday, with at least two nations telling Reuters their ministers and police commissioners were unavailable to attend.
China's attempt to strike a security and trade deal with 10 Pacific island nations in May fuelled concern in Washington and Canberra about Beijing's military ambitions in the region, and prompted a boost in Western aid.
Those concerns were first sparked when Solomon Islands struck a security pact with China in April.
