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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Kate Lyons

Deal proposed by China would dramatically expand security influence in Pacific

Solomon Islands foreign minister Jeremiah Manele, left, and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Beijing in 2019.
China is hoping a security deal with 10 Pacific island countries will be signed next week in Fiji. Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/AP

China is pursuing a sweeping regional economic security deal with Pacific nations that would dramatically expand its influence and reach into those countries, in a pact that has western countries and some Pacific leaders deeply worried.

The wide-ranging deal lays out China’s vision for a much closer relationship with the Pacific, especially on security matters, with China proposing it would be involved in training police, cybersecurity, sensitive marine mapping and gaining greater access to natural resources.

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