Vanuatu approves agreements with China and Australia
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu has moved to strengthen relations with both China and Australia, approving two separate strategic agreements while attempting to maintain a delicate balance between the region’s competing powers.
Prime Minister Jotham Napat confirmed that his cabinet had approved a new “strategic cooperation” pact with China, known as the Namele Agreement, while also giving the green light to a revised version of the Nakamal Agreement with Australia.
The announcements highlight the growing geopolitical competition unfolding across the Pacific, where both Canberra and Beijing are seeking to expand their influence through infrastructure, economic partnerships and security cooperation.
Vanuatu rejects pressure from global powers
Speaking in parliament, Mr Napat expressed frustration with both countries, accusing foreign powers of using their strategic interests to influence Vanuatu’s domestic affairs.
“Unfortunately our development partners are using their interests to try to undermine us,” the prime minister said, insisting that Vanuatu wanted to remain neutral.
“We are friends to all and enemies to none,” he declared.
The comments underline Vanuatu’s ongoing effort to preserve its sovereignty while benefiting from partnerships with larger nations competing for influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia-China rivalry intensifies in the Pacific
Australian officials have reportedly been concerned that China has attempted to weaken the Nakamal Agreement while advancing its own partnership with Vanuatu through the Namele Agreement.
Canberra views the Pacific as strategically critical, particularly as China increases its diplomatic and economic footprint across island nations.
While details of the Chinese agreement remain limited, Mr Napat insisted the pact “has nothing to do with security” and instead focuses on strategic cooperation and development.
At the same time, the revised Nakamal Agreement with Australia appears to have removed clauses that Vanuatu believed could undermine its sovereignty, particularly provisions linked to oversight of critical infrastructure projects.
Pacific security and sovereignty remain central issues
The latest developments reflect a broader shift across the Pacific, where island nations are increasingly asserting independence while navigating pressure from global powers.
The revised agreement with Australia reportedly still confirms Canberra as Vanuatu’s primary policing partner and reinforces commitments preventing the militarisation of critical infrastructure.
For Australia, the agreement remains a cornerstone of its Pacific strategy. For Vanuatu, however, the priority appears clear: maintaining strategic neutrality while securing economic development and political autonomy in an increasingly contested region.
