China training Solomon Islands police to use water cannons under security pact

China is helping to train Solomon Islands police to use water cannons as part of an ongoing security partnership that is viewed with scepticism by the West. The Chinese embassy said on Tuesday that six officers from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force took part in a week-long training exercise, without giving dates.

The programme helped familiarise officers with the use of crowd control vehicles and different scenarios in which they may be used, the embassy said. The programme cultivated a...