Concerns raised about Chinese interference in the Pacific

A major transnational crime symposium kicks off in Fiji next week as concerns are raised about Chinese interference in the Pacific.

Canterbury University's newly established Pacific Regional Security hub (PRSH) is holding the closed door meeting with Pacific heads of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Associate Professor Jose Sousa-Santos, who leads the PRSH, said the uncertainty over the change in US foreign policy is leaving holes in the region for countries such as China to "move in and further destabilise the region as it stands at the moment".

He said it's important the Pacific's security leaders meet together without traditional partners there to identify the issues and come up with possible regional responses.

"By having a strong and resilient region, it makes the Pacific a harder nut to crack when it comes to foreign destabilising disrupting forces, be that from a transnational crime point of view, from a geopolitical point of view, or from foreign interference and intelligence activities," he said.

The withdrawal of the United States from the Pacific is causing anxiety for New Zealand and Australia as China expands its interests.

New Zealand's intelligence chief Andrew Hampton has spoken out strongly about China's interference here but is also warning the Pacific is at risk.

"The PRC's (People's Republic of China) ambition is to link economic and security cooperation, create competing regional architecture, and expand its influence with Pacific Island countries across policing, defence, digital, disaster relief, and maritime spheres," he said.

China's embassy in Wellington reacted angrily to his comments, saying they were baseless and fabricated, and accused him of spreading falsehoods about Beijing's intentions in the Pacific.

However, there's no doubt China's reach in the region is rapidly expanding.

It has five research bases in Antarctica and recently signed comprehensive deals with the Cook Islands, a realm country of New Zealand, giving it a maritime presence there. China also has extremely close ties with Kiribati.

Just last month, China flexed its military muscles and carried out live fire drills from three warships between Australia and New Zealand.

Last year, it was able to register 26 coastguard vessels with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission as inspection vessels, which Sousa-Santos said allows them to transit through the region.

He said it's having a Chinese coastguard presence in the Pacific when there is no need or threat.

"That will change the balance of power in the region in regards to naval power. This is something New Zealand has become quite aware of and concerned," he said.

Speaking at the NZ Institute of International Affairs, Hampton said a key priority for his agency is to help inform New Zealand and increasingly Pacific decision-makers on how strategic competition is playing out and the risks involved.

"We have been open with them about the challenging situation we faced with regard to foreign interference and espionage in New Zealand and comfortable sharing any lessons that we have learned," he said.

"We've also been working on ways that we can provide intelligence to Pacific partners that they may find useful."

Sousa-Santos said there needs to be a regional intelligence framework in place, not just a bilateral model of sharing intelligence.

He said one of the biggest problems from New Zealand's perspective is the lack of security vetting Pacific intelligence organisations, which means any intelligence passed on cannot be of the highest classification.

"Currently, there isn't a regional architecture for intelligence as such and that is key," he said.