Fiji coup leader to seek Chinese support

Commodore Bainimarama said he assumed China "would always be there" to support Fiji.

"We have always had close ties with Beijing," Commodore Bainimarama told The Weekend Australian newspaper.

"I've already made an official visit there at the invitation of the People's Liberation Army and we've had two senior officers at China's defence college since 2000."

Malaysia, South Korea and Japan were also named as possible allies.

Commodore Bainimarama said he told Australia's foreign minister, Alexander Downer, he intended to remove the Qarase government three weeks before the event.

He expressed "disappointment" at Australia's failure to understand the true nature of events in Fiji.

"(Downer is) harping on about democracy," he said.

"Everyone knows that democracy isn't about numbers in an election; it's about the rule of law, it's about good governance, law and order, which this last government has not provided."

Commodore Bainimarama also said he was keen to get back the expelled director of public prosecutions, Australian Peter Ridgeway, to help investigate alleged corruption in the Qarase government.