Cook Islands Police are keeping quiet about the visit of a senior officer to the People’s Republic of China.

In early December 2023, Cook Islands Police Inspector Maeva Kirikava attended the second Ministerial Dialogue on Police Capacity Building and Cooperation between China and Pacific Island Countries in Beijing.

At the time, Cook Islands News asked police spokesman Trevor Pitt to provide a statement about Kirikava’s attendance at the meeting.   

On Monday, Pitt confirmed a police officer had been sent to China, but did not elaborate.

“We sent one. Not a lot to comment on other than participating in the gathering upon the invitation of the People’s Republic of China.”   

Cook Islands News went back to Pitt and asked for more details.

“We sent one cop; no release issued,” he said.    

Cook Islands News then asked Pitt how the trip would be quantified?    

“We had no mandate to enter into any negotiations so attended to maintain contact and remain open to communications,” Pitt said. 

In December, ABC Pacific reported that three Pacific ministers have attended a high-level meeting on police cooperation between China and Pacific Island nations as Beijing continues its push to cement deeper security ties with the region.

Solomon Islands Police Minister Anthony Veke, Samoa's Police Minister Faualo Harry Jeffrey Schuster and Tonga's Trade Minister Viliami Uasike Latu attended, while Kiribati sent Acting Police Commissioner Eeri Aritiera to the meeting.

Several other Pacific Island countries sent more junior representatives.

There was no evidence that Beijing struck any concrete agreements during the meeting with state media Xinhua reporting that Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong said China was “willing to work with all parties to foster a good ministerial dialogue mechanism and carry out practical and mutually beneficial cooperation”.

This week, Papua New Guinea’s Foreign Minister Justin Tkachenko told Reuters that the country is in early talks with China on a potential security and policing deal, weeks after deadly riots in the South Pacific nation’s capital.

• Al Williams/ABC Pacific