Country: Vanuatu
Leading from the “Global Middle”: China’s Bid to Host the New Ocean Treaty
"China's financial commitments are simply more tangible and easier to grasp than those of Europe," one delegate from an island state remarked to me on a bright spring day in late March, as we both gazed out at the East River from the United Nations Headquarters. ...
Vanuatu Courts Hong Kong as Pacific Economies Seek New Partners
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Jotham Napat led a delegation to Hong Kong this week, meeting Chief Executive John Lee to seek cooperation on regulatory reform, investment, and tourism as the Pacific island nation looks to diversify its economic partners. The talks highlight ...
China to Donate Over $400,000 in Police Gear to Vanuatu: Minister
Vanuatu's interior minister has said China will donate hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of police equipment to the Pacific island nation, local media reported Tuesday, as Beijing deepens its influence in the region. Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Solomon Napuat said ...
Vanuatu Pushes Back on China-Excluding Deal with Australia
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had to cancel the signing of a landmark treaty with Vanuatu because it would limit the Pacific island state’s infrastructure cooperation with China. The Nakamal Agreement would see Australia allocate AU$500 million (about US$330.3 million) for ...
Australia Moves to Counter China With Vanuatu Security Pact
Australia on Wednesday hailed a breakthrough in efforts to sign a security agreement with Vanuatu, a deal that could dilute China's influence in the Pacific island nation. A delegation of Australian ministers ironed out the deal during negotiations on the slopes ...
China Offers Pacific Islands Climate, Development Cooperation
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi focused on climate change and development cooperation during the China-Pacific Islands Forum ministerial meeting that took place on 28 and 29 May in Xiamen, Fujian Province. It was the first in-person event since its launch in 2021. It included senior officials from ...
United States Opens Vanuatu Embassy Amid Pacific Rivalry With China
The United States said Friday it has officially opened an embassy in Vanuatu, part of ongoing efforts to parry China's influence in the strategically important South Pacific. Washington has been opening embassies in a string of South Pacific states, a burst ...
China Builds New Presidential Palace in Pacific’s Vanuatu
The government of cash-strapped Vanuatu will soon settle into a suite of new buildings funded by China, a move likely to reignite concerns about Beijing's reach in the South Pacific nation. At an official handover ceremony conducted in front of a ...
Three Pacific Islands Leaders to Skip Annual Bloc Summit Amid China-U.S. Rivalry
The leaders of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands will not attend this week's annual Pacific Islands Forum, hampering the consensus-based group’s efforts to project unity as China and the United States jockey for influence in the region. The three ...

