太平洋諸島、合同警察活動計画を承認　豪発表　中国けん制か

【ヌクアロファＡＦＰ＝時事】オーストラリアは２８日、トンガで開催されている太平洋諸島フォーラム首脳会議（サミット）で同日、地域の警察活動計画が承認されたと発表した。太平洋地域で警察活動を拡大している中国をけん制する動きとみられている。（写真は、トンガの首都ヌクアロファのコンベンションセンターの外に掲揚された太平洋諸島フォーラム首脳会議〈サミット〉参加国の国旗）
　フィジー、パラオ、パプアニューギニア、トンガの各国首脳と共に会見に臨んだアンソニー・アルバニージー豪首相は、サミットでは最大４か所の警察養成所と多国籍の危機対応部隊の設立に合意したと述べた。
　太平洋諸島国から集められた約２００人の警察官が、必要または要請に応じ、太平洋地域の紛争・災害地域に派遣される。
　中国による警察活動は、同国が太平洋地域で影響力を拡大する取り組みの要となりつつある。現在、ソロモン諸島に警察官を派遣して現地の警察官に射撃や暴動鎮圧術などを指導し、今年に入ってからはキリバスにも警察顧問団の派遣を開始している。
　フォーラムの全参加国は今回の計画をおおむね承認しているが、関与の程度については各国にそれぞれ委ねられる。
　中国との関係が強いバヌアツやソロモン諸島は、同計画には中国を排除する意図があるとして懸念を表明している。
　ソロモン諸島のコリン・ベック外務次官はＡＦＰに対し、最終合意に至る前に国内で議論するとの考えを示した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/28-17:25）

Pacific Island leaders endorsed a landmark regional policing plan Wednesday at a summit in Tonga, a contentious move seen as trying to limit China's security role in the region.
Leaders unveiled a plan to create up to four regional police training centres and a multinational crisis reaction force, backed by $271 million in initial funding from Australia.
Under the plan, a corps of about 200 officers drawn from different Pacific Island nations could be dispatched to regional hot spots and disaster zones when needed and invited.
This demonstrates how Pacific leaders are working together to shape the future that we want to see, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, hailing the agreement.
The Australian leader made the announcement while flanked by leaders of Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Tonga -- a symbolic show of unity in a region riven by competition between China and the United States.
Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, the summit host, said the initiative would plug regional security gaps and tackle emerging threats like organised crime.
Tonga, like many other countries, are facing a number of transnational security challenges, including seeing an increase in drug trafficking within the Pacific in recent years he said.
- The great game -
According to Mihai Sora of the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank, Wednesday's announcement was a diplomatic victory for Australia and for the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional bloc which had appeared deeply divided on the topic.
China's Pacific allies -- most notably Vanuatu and Solomon Islands -- had voiced concern that the policing plan represented a geo-strategic denial security doctrine, designed to box out Beijing.
While all members of the forum have endorsed the deal in principle, national leaders will have to decide how much they participate, if at all.
Tonga's Sovaleni said Pacific nations will have the discretion to choose how they would contribute to and benefit.
Asked about the deal on Wednesday, Beijing said it welcomed all parties' efforts for Pacific Island countries' development and prosperity.
China's cooperation with Pacific Island countries on police, law enforcement, and in other fields is normal cooperation between sovereign countries, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
It complies with international law and norms and isn't aimed at, or constrained by, any third party, he added.
- Partner of choice? -
Australia and New Zealand have historically been the region's go-to security partners, leading peacekeeping missions in Solomon Islands and training in Nauru, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Policing, however, has increasingly become a cornerstone of Beijing's efforts to build Pacific influence.
China tried and failed to ink a region-wide security pact in 2022, but has since been plying some under-resourced Pacific police forces with martial arts training and fleets of Chinese-made vehicles.
Australia and longtime ally the United States were caught napping in 2022 when China secretly signed a security pact with Solomon Islands -- the details of which have not been made public.
China now maintains a small but conspicuous police presence there, sending a revolving cadre of officers to train locals in shooting and riot tactics.
Gleaming new police vehicles roam the capital Honiara emblazoned with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force badge and stark red China Aid stickers.
Earlier this year, Beijing also started sending teams of police advisers to Kiribati.
There are fears in Washington that China may one day parlay these agreements into a permanent military foothold in the region.
- 'Not yet done' -
According to the Lowy Institute's Sora, Canberra will hope it helps close the window for China to seek a regional security agreement.
Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko told AFP on Wednesday that his country was keen to work together with Australia to implement the proposal.
But others signalled lingering misgivings.
Top Solomon Islands' diplomatic official Colin Beck told AFP that Honiara would have domestic discussions about the plan before anything is finalised.
We have a national process that we have to dive into it, said Beck, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We are basically reviewing our national security strategy and everything, so it will be part of the conversation, he said.
The matter is still going on. The forum is not yet done.