Australia and Vanuatu Sign Pact That Blocks Foreign Military Bases

Australia and Vanuatu signed a security and economic treaty on Monday under which Vanuatu will not permit any foreign military base or infrastructure on its territory and will keep critical infrastructure free of militarization and unauthorized access. Al Jazeera reported that China expressed concern the agreement may be aimed at it.

The pact, known as the Nakamal Agreement, was signed in Canberra by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat. The South China Morning Post reported that it followed nine months of renegotiation after Vanuatu rejected an earlier draft, and that Vanuatu agreed to consult Australia on third-party involvement in critical infrastructure without granting Canberra a veto.

The deal is one of several Australia has pursued with Pacific neighbors to limit China's security presence in a region where Beijing has sought a permanent military presence. For Vanuatu, the calculation balances its security relationship with Australia against its interest in attracting outside infrastructure investment, much of which has come from China.

The agreement is a measured outcome rather than a clear victory for either major power. Australia secured a ban on foreign bases, while Vanuatu preserved its freedom to seek investment and declined to give Canberra a formal veto.