Key facts
- Australia and Vanuatu signed a bilateral security and economic treaty.
- The treaty designates Australia as Vanuatu's primary security partner.
- The agreement prevents China from establishing a military base in Vanuatu.
- Foreign military bases or infrastructure are prohibited by the treaty.
- The pact comes amid a battle for influence in the region.
- Vanuatu is a Pacific island nation with approximately 300,000 people.
- China signed a broad security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022.
Australia and Vanuatu have formalized a bilateral security and economic treaty, a move that effectively blocks China from establishing a military base in the Pacific island nation. Under the terms of the agreement, Australia is designated as Vanuatu's primary security partner. The treaty explicitly prohibits the presence of foreign military bases or infrastructure on Vanuatu's territory. This development occurs within the context of an intensifying regional competition for influence between China and Western nations in the Pacific.