Tonga Considers China’s Security Offer for Regional Summit, Sparking U.S. and Australian Concerns
On Thursday 4 April 2024, Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni expressed a willingness to accept China’s offer of security assistance for the upcoming major regional summit in the South Pacific kingdom. This move has sparked concerns in the United States, which is actively working to mitigate China’s expanding influence in the region.
Prime Minister Sovaleni reassured that China’s proposition to support the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum in August is harmless, despite warnings from the United States against forming security agreements with Beijing. “China’s assistance in organizing the summit of foreign leaders is not a cause for concern,” Sovaleni stated during a press conference in Nukuʻalofa.
Sovaleni mentioned that if the Tongan police find it necessary, they might accept China’s offer, especially in areas like training. This comes amid Australian apprehensions about the potential spread of Chinese authoritarian policing practices in the Pacific region.
The U.S. and Australia, a key ally in the South Pacific, have been intensifying their efforts to strengthen regional ties since 2022, when a security agreement between Beijing and the Solomon Islands heightened fears about a possible Chinese naval base. Following this, Beijing’s attempt to establish a collective security treaty with ten Pacific Island nations was thwarted. China is now pursuing individual agreements with these nations.
The Tongan government released a photo showing six officials from China’s Ministry of Public Security meeting with Sovaleni on Wednesday. The discussions reportedly focused on China providing police motorcycles and other vehicles to enhance security for the summit, which is hosted on a rotating basis by member countries.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy have not yet commented on Tonga’s security talks. However, Simon Birmingham, a senior opposition legislator in Australia, emphasized the importance of the Pacific Islands Forum countries independently providing necessary resources to avoid any Chinese security involvement at the summit.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Tonga last year was part of America’s efforts to increase its diplomatic presence in the region, including the establishment of a Tongan embassy. Currently, Tonga faces a significant debt to China, and this latest diplomatic gesture seems aimed at balancing Tonga’s interests with its financial obligations to China.
