Fiji's Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase said Friday there's nothing his government can do but wait until military commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama's deadline for a "clean-up" is reached.

Bainimarama's "peaceful transition" threat came Thursday night when he demanded that the Government meet all his demands by the deadline, which is 12 a.m. local time (2400 GMT Thursday).

"Nobody knows what he wants ... we're just keeping our fingers crossed that he won't go ahead," said Qarase to New Zealand National Radio Friday morning.

Bainimarama's Thursday comments come hours after Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase made concessions on key demands by the military.

Fei Mingxing, political counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Suva, told Xinhua Thursday "the embassy works normally, and the situation has been monitored closely."

Tensions in Fiji have been high since Bainimarama threatened last month to remove Prime Minister Qarase from office.

Bainimarama ever backed down from those threats after Qarase met his demand to amend controversial legislation, removing amnesty for people convicted over Fiji's 2000 coup.

He issued last week demands to the government and a two-week deadline to comply, and has recalled army reservists in readiness for what he described as a "clean-up" of the Qarase government.

On Wednesday night, the army conducted a several-hour exercise firing flares and securing areas of the capital by setting up checkpoints.

Fiji, a South Pacific nation of about 900,000 people, consists of 800-plus volcanic and coral islands that have the country enjoy a tropical climate and be a prime destination for tourists. However, racial and political tensions since 1987, including three coups, have been an intermittent source of instability of the country.

Source: Xinhua