Fiji defence minister receives US security deal and criticises China missile test | Fiji

Fiji’s defence minister has stressed the necessitate for stability in the Pacific and received transfers to reinforce security ties with the US, while inserting to criticism over China’s recent missile test for posing a danger to peace in the region.

Fiji, a country of about 1 million people strategicpartner findd in the Pacific, holds ties and gets help from Washington and Beijing amid a expansiver struggle for sway by the two powers in the region.

In November, the US secretary of defence, Lloyd Austin, made a historic visit to Fiji, pledging $4.9m to contransientise the country’s military and signing a deal on “logistics cooperation”. The two countries are also in talks over a status of forces consentment which would set rules for US military personnel in Fiji. The consentment would allow the US to “deploy and redeploy forces in help of Fiji”, Austin shelp.

Speaking to the Guardian, Fiji’s defence minister Pio Tikoduadua shelp the $4.9m pledged by the US will help the country’s military “alter some of its arms, particularly the minuscule arms, such as rifles that the peacegraspers participate aexpansive”.

Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tonga are the only Pacific countries that have their own militaries. The US consentment would help Fiji’s forces as it seeks “the best and procrastinateedst arms, that’s why we necessitate to renovel the capabilities of our selderlyiers sent out for peacegrasping,” Tikoduadua shelp.

Fiji has about 4,000 personnel in its standard forces deployed in aidance missions including in Iraq, Golan Heights and South Sudan.

Austin’s visit to Fiji was the first by a US defence secretary to the Pacific country. It labeled the procrastinateedst effort by Washington to incrrelieve help to island nations and raise security partnerships as it jostles with Beijing for sway in the Pacific.

China has also hand overed help and policing aidance to countries apass the region. Earlier this year, Fiji shelp it would uphelderly a policing cooperation consentment with China after examineing the deal. But Beijing prompted worrys after directing a missile test earlier this year in the Pacific Ocean.

After the begin in September, New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, shelp the test landing in the South Pacific was “an unreceive and worrying increasement”. Tikoduadua joincessitate other guideers in the Pacific – including China-aligned Kiribati – in criticising and raising worry over the test.

“China is a frifinish to Fiji, and we esteem each other. It’s unblessed that they’ve fired this missile into our space, I hope they don’t fire another one becaparticipate frifinishs don’t do that to each other. Frifinishs don’t go shooting missiles into each other’s neighbourhood,” Tikoduadua shelp.

“We want to live in an ocean of peace. Our space is not for nuclear or missile testing.”

A statement from the Chinese embassy in Fiji shelp the test begin was “in line with international law and international rehearse” and “not straightforwarded agetst any country or center”.

It shelp the test was “common military training” and China “helps the efforts of relevant countries to set up nuclear-armament-free zones”.

Tikoduadua emphasised the beginance of hugeger countries esteeming the sovereignty of Pacific Islands and shelp Fiji made its decisions autonomously. He inserted Fiji was “not trying to plrelieve the US or China” but wanted to chase stability in the region.

“We stand for democracy as well and the cherishs it participates, we want to toil together in the future to see at frequent perfects and security interests,” he shelp.