Pacific Islands Back $271M Australian Plan for Enhanced Regional Policng

Pacific Island leaders have supported an Australian-funded $271 million initiative aimed at enhancing police training and establishing a regional police force to combat issues like drug trafficking and economic crimes. The Pacific Policing Initiative will include multiple training centers and a coordination hub in Brisbane, augmenting regional security and reducing reliance on China's involvement.

Leaders from several Pacific Islands approved a $271 million Australian-funded plan on Wednesday to boost police training and create a mobile regional policing unit. This move aims to diminish China's security presence in the area.

The program, endorsed by leaders from Tonga, Fiji, Palau, and Papua New Guinea, is designed to help island nations address drug trafficking, illegal fishing, and economic crimes across a vast oceanic region. Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape emphasized the unpoliced nature of the Pacific, stating that his country will host the first of four police training centers.

The Pacific Policing Initiative will establish a multi-country force deployable during major events or crises, with a coordination hub located in Brisbane, as stated by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga.

Australia and New Zealand have historically provided crisis policing support, but the new model aims to empower Pacific Islands to take a leading role. Albanese highlighted that this initiative, led by Pacific police chiefs, will benefit from substantial Australian financial backing and enhance regional security.

Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr noted the initiative's importance in light of recent cybersecurity incidents, while Tonga's Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni mentioned the discretion member states have in their participation. Despite initial reservations from Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, both nations backed the initiative.

This plan also seeks to restrict China's policing role in the region, especially as China has been increasing its influence through infrastructure lending and existing police operations in Solomon Islands and Kiribati.

Additionally, Australia and Tuvalu announced a security and climate migration treaty allowing 280 Tuvalu citizens per year to relocate to Australia starting in 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)