New Zealand has been accused of trying to “sabotage” China’s relationship with Pacific island countries.

In a scathing attack on the United States and its allies, including Australia and Aotearoa, the Chinese government said the West has been undermining Beijing’s efforts in the region.

New Zealand, Australia and the US have expressed concerns about China’s “growing power and influence” in the Pacific since Beijing signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands last year.

But China’s special envoy to the Pacific, Qian Bo, said it was hypocritical of the West to criticise Beijing when both the US and Australia were set to sign new defence pacts with Papua New Guinea.

With tensions growing over Taiwan, the White House announced this week it was pursuing a security agreement with PNG despite President Joe Biden cancelling his visit to the Pacific next week.

Biden was scheduled to meet 18 Pacific island leaders at the India-Pacific summit in Port Moresby on Monday, May 22.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was also finalising a new security treaty with Papua New Guinea.

Both agreements have been seen as a challenge to China’s growing assertiveness in the Pacific.

Qian said the West had a “Cold War mentality” and was blinded by “ideological prejudice”.

He said the US and its allies had undermined Beijing’s security and law enforcement cooperation with Fiji.

When Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka came to power in December after a 16-year rule by Frank Bainimarama, Rabuka promised to scrap a 2011 police co-operation agreement which Fiji signed with China under the former government.

In late January, Rabuka announced that Chinese state security personnel would no longer be allowed to work in Fiji because “our system of democracy and justice systems are different”.

Rabuka instead opted to “go back to those [countries] that have similar systems with us.”

Qian said China’s relationship with Fiji did not seek to undermine other relations the Fijians had.

“We are not targeting the US, and we have never done so. We have never targeted Australia and New Zealand, so our relationship should not be interrupted or affected by other parties.

“We have explained to the Pacific nations. Police to police cooperation, so what? The US has police cooperation in the region, and Australia and New Zealand have people working in the region,” Qian said.

Fiji’s Home Affairs Minister, Pio Tikoduadua, said their agreement with China had not been terminated, but that it was being reviewed.

He said to abandon the decade-old deal would require six months’ notice from either side.

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“There is no termination of the agreement,” Tikoduadua told journalists in Suva.

“We want to review the terms that govern the relationship between the government of China and Fiji in regard to security.”

Qian warned that New Zealand, Australia and the United States were driving up geopolitical tensions in the region, and he called for greater engagement and “a better understanding”.

While New Zealand has not responded to Qian’s claims, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said regional security issues should be a matter for a broader forum.

“We see the Pacific Islands Forum as the best place to bring those issues together, so that we can get greater transparency and discuss these,” Mahuta said in a statement.

“The Pacific region can provide for its own security, as set out in the Biketawa Declaration. We are committed to ensuring there are no gaps, and no need to look outside our region in ways that could destabilise the arrangements that have served us so well, for so long.

“I firmly believe that the Pacific Islands Forum is the ideal setting to engage in meaningful dialogue regarding our shared regional security concerns. It is through this platform that we can promote a more inclusive approach, fostering greater understanding and collaboration.”

Mahuta said New Zealand would continue to encourage all parties to engage with the forum on matters related to regional security in the Pacific.

A spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Fiji said on Friday Beijing's cooperation with Pacific island countries (PICs) is “open and transparent.

In a statement, the spokesperson said China doesn't target any country.

“Nor should we be disrupted by any country. We hope that relevant countries' cooperation with the PICs could truly promote regional development and stability.

“China is willing to work together with countries within and outside the Pacific island region to help the PICs enhance capacity for independent development and accelerate the realisation of development and revitalisation,” the spokesperson said. 

The US Embassy and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs have been approached for comment.