Australia, Vanuatu Sign Pact Barring Foreign Military Bases

Australia and Vanuatu signed a sweeping economic and security agreement that bars the establishment of any foreign military base in the Pacific island nation.

The Nakamal Agreement, signed in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart Jotham Napat, is a direct response to China’s growing influence in the South Pacific.

The pact ends an impasse over Beijing’s policing ties with Vanuatu, which had alarmed Canberra.

The deal is seen as a significant step in Australia’s efforts to counter China’s strategic ambitions in the region.