Australia-Vanuatu deal bars foreign bases in island nation
Key takeaways
- Australia and Vanuatu have signed a deal seen as a bid to check China's growing security presence in the region.
- The deal is the latest in a series that Australia has signed with Pacific island nations amid growing rivalry between China and US allies to gain a security presence in the region.
- The agreement was to be signed last September, but Vanuatu delayed closing the deal amid concerns that it could restrict its ability to secure infrastructure funding from other countries.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Australia and Vanuatu have signed a deal seen as a bid to check China's growing security presence in the region. But an economic deal between Vanuatu and China is still in the works.
https://p.dw.com/p/5GDa XThe deal between Vanuatu and Australia is seen as a bid to curb China's security presence Image: Lukas Coch/AAP/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement Australia and Vanuatu on Monday signed an economic and security agreement that consolidates Canberra's status as the Pacific island state's preferred security and policing partner.
The deal is the latest in a series that Australia has signed with Pacific island nations amid growing rivalry between China and US allies to gain a security presence in the region.