Eko Hot Blog reports that in a recent development raising eyebrows in the Pacific, Chinese police officers have been spotted in Kiribati, a remote island nation just south of Hawaii.
Kiribati’s acting police commissioner, Eeri Aritiera, disclosed to Reuters that uniformed Chinese officers have been collaborating with local law enforcement on community policing and crime database programs.
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The presence of Chinese security forces in Kiribati, a nation of about 115,000 people, has prompted concern from the United States.
A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department cautioned against Pacific Island nations seeking assistance from China, emphasizing that such collaborations could escalate regional tensions.
The spokesperson reiterated Washington’s stance against China’s efforts to establish police stations worldwide, labeling them as “transnational repression efforts.”
Kiribati’s strategic location, coupled with its vast exclusive economic zone, has made it a focal point for geopolitical maneuvering. China’s plans to rebuild a World War Two U.S. military airstrip on Kiribati’s Kanton Island have further heightened U.S. apprehensions. In response, the United States has pledged to upgrade infrastructure on Kanton Island and expressed interest in establishing an embassy in Kiribati.
Despite Kiribati’s assertion that it had requested China’s policing assistance in 2022, concerns persist regarding the implications of China’s security agreements in the region. While China has yet to comment on the role of its police in Kiribati, the presence of uniformed Chinese officers has been confirmed by sources. This development comes amid China’s broader efforts to expand its influence in the Pacific, including its rejected proposal for a region-wide security and trade deal.
This move by China follows its deployment of police officers in the Solomon Islands since 2022, which drew criticism from the United States and Australia. Similarly, Papua New Guinea recently declined a Chinese offer of police assistance and surveillance technology following backlash from Western allies.
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As tensions simmer in the Pacific, the presence of Chinese security forces in Kiribati underscores the complex dynamics of regional geopolitics and the intensifying rivalry between global powers.
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