China has sent a “police delegation team” to the Pacific island state of Kiribati, to the alarm of U.S. and allied officials troubled by Beijing’s footholds in the waterways between Australia and Hawaii.

“We are aware that they are seeking a greater security role in the Pacific, and we have been consistent in our view that there is no role for China in policing, or broader security, in the Pacific,” said Australian lawmaker Pat Conroy, the minister for the Pacific and international development.