Australia and Vanuatu signed an economic and security agreement on Monday, cementing Canberra's status as the Pacific island nation's preferred security and policing partner. The deal is the latest in a series of agreements Australia has struck with Pacific island nations amid intensifying rivalry between China and US allies for influence in the region.
The so-called Nakamal Agreement enshrines Australia's commitment to provide greater economic support to Vanuatu, while stipulating that no foreign military base will be established on Vanuatu's territory. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters after signing: "What this does do is to provide certainty for Australia that there will be no foreign military base."
Albanese added that the agreement "encapsulates Vanuatu's sovereign decision not to permit its territory to be used for any foreign military base or infrastructure and that Vanuatu's critical infrastructure remains free from militarization." Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat confirmed the statement but noted his country is pursuing a separate economic agreement with Beijing.
When asked if that deal would contain security elements, Napat said: "We will share the agreement; there is nothing to hide." The agreement also recognizes Australia as "Vanuatu's longstanding primary policing partner" and says Vanuatu will prioritize policing requests to other Pacific Islands Forum members.
This element appears aimed at countering China's influence, as Beijing has offered Vanuatu policing assistance since 2023, providing equipment including drones, patrol boats, and vehicles. China is Vanuatu's largest external creditor, with Chinese banks funding major infrastructure projects such as the presidential office complex and parliament building.
China's navy has regularly visited Vanuatu's ports, and Beijing funded the expansion of a wharf in Luganville, where the US once had its largest South Pacific military base during World War II. That project fueled fears in Canberra and Washington that China was seeking to establish a naval base in Vanuatu.
Source: www.dw.com