Vanuatu approves China pact and readies revised Australia deal amid accusations

Vanuatu says its cabinet has approved a new strategic cooperation pact with China and a stripped-back version of the Nakamal Agreement with Australia. Prime Minister Jotham Napat said the country was now ready to sign the revised Australian deal, while also confirming approval of the China agreement. He accused both Beijing and Canberra of undermining Vanuatu as they compete for influence in the Pacific state.

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Mr Napat made the comments in parliament, where he said the two powers were too focused on gaining strategic leverage. He said Vanuatu would remain "friends to all, and enemies to none" and would not favour one side over another. According to his remarks, the Council of Ministers has now approved the Namele Agreement with China, although he gave limited detail on its contents.

The prime minister said the China pact would have "nothing to do with security" and would instead focus on "strategic cooperation." He also confirmed that a diluted version of the Nakamal Agreement with Australia had been approved. Mr Napat said the original version of the Australian agreement would have required Vanuatu to "ask advice" or "seek approval" from Australia on critical infrastructure matters. The developments matter because they sit at the centre of a wider contest for influence in Vanuatu between Australia and China.

Australian officials have become increasingly convinced that Beijing has tried to weaken the Nakamal Agreement while advancing its own arrangement. China's embassy in Vanuatu has previously said its cooperation with the country focuses on infrastructure and capacity building, and has rejected suggestions that the Namele Agreement contains security elements. The Nakamal Agreement was initially initialled by senior ministers from Australia and Vanuatu at the top of Mount Yasur last year.

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That earlier step had been presented as a landmark arrangement, but the latest version appears to have been narrowed after political scrutiny in Port Vila. The new China pact, meanwhile, has been described only in broad terms, leaving its practical scope unclear. For Vanuatu, the issue goes beyond two bilateral agreements because it touches on sovereignty, infrastructure policy and the balance of external partnerships.

The prime minister's public criticism of both countries suggests the government wants to resist being drawn into a choice between them. It also reflects the sensitivity of Pacific diplomacy, where small states often face pressure from larger partners seeking strategic access and influence. What remains unclear is the full text of the China agreement, the exact changes made to the Australian deal, and when either document will be formally signed.

It is also not yet clear how Australia and China will respond to the latest approvals. The next key point to watch is whether the revised Nakamal Agreement is signed and whether the Namele Agreement is published or explained in more detail.

#Vanuatu #China #Australia #JothamNapat #NakamalAgreement

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