2023-06-07 07:16:36
(AFP, Wellington, 7th) Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka (Sitiveni Rabuka) said today that his government is reviewing the police agreement with China and considering whether to cancel it completely.
China and Fiji signed a memorandum in 2011, allowing police officers from the South Pacific country to receive training in China, while Chinese police officers are sent to Fiji for a three- to six-month internship program.
However, the coalition government in Rabuka, which took office six months ago, has taken a more skeptical stance on the close bilateral relationship between Fiji and China.
In January, Rabuka told local media that he saw no need for the Chinese police deal to continue. But he did not make a decisive decision at the time.
During a state visit to New Zealand today, Rabuka hinted that the agreement between Fiji and China was being put on hold to allow discussions to continue.
“When we came to power (in power), I said then, what kind of cooperation can we get from them (China) if the values and systems are different?” Rabuka told reporters in Wellington.
“We’ll have to look once more before we can decide whether to go back, or continue the way we’ve been — working with a party that has similar democratic values and legislation, enforcement systems, etc.”
1686140080
#Skeptical #China #police #deal #Fiji #considers #scrapping
