Australia and Vanuatu sign deal to block foreign military bases

Two countries sign economic and security pact, as China expresses concern that the agreement may be targeted at it.Australia and Vanuatu have signed a economic and security deal that prevents foreign military bases from being built on the Pacific island.The Nakamal Agreement was signed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Vanuatu counterpart, Jotham Napat, in Canberra on Monday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Pakistan says its security forces killed 29 fighters along Afghan borderlist 2 of 3‘Incompetent people’: South Korea’s World Cup 2026 exit prompts fury at homelist 3 of 3Stealing from the gods: India’s Ram Temple hit by corruption scandalend of list“What this does do is to provide certainty for Australia that there will be no foreign military base,” Albanese told reporters, adding that the agreement would “protect our collective and individual security and our sovereignty”.Australia has committed to increased economic support for Vanuatu, which will bar the establishment of foreign military bases or infrastructure on the island and consult Australia on any third-party investment in critical infrastructure.“As a country, we have in fact passed an act in parliament not to allow any militarisation to actually be used for our critical infrastructure,” Napat said.He added that the pact reaffirmed a shared commitment to “continuing and strengthening the comprehensive partnership between our two countries, founded on mutual respect, trust and our common vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Pacific.”China expressed concern that the agreement may be targeted at it.“We hope that cooperation between relevant countries and Pacific Island countries will contribute to the development and stability of the island region, not target any third party or be used as a tool for geopolitical rivalry,” said Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.