Victoria
Vanuatu expects Chinese police presence to fall after Australia deal
Vanuatu anticipates a decline in Beijing's security presence following the signing of the landmark Nakamal Agreement with Australia.
Vanuatu expects a reduction in China's policing footprint within the Pacific nation following the signing of a landmark security pact with Australia, according to reporting by a wire service.
The Pacific nation recently signed the Nakamal Agreement with Canberra, a bilateral security arrangement that establishes closer ties between Australia and Vanuatu. Officials in Port Vila have signalled that the deal will lead to a change in the presence of Chinese police officers, who have been active in the country.
While specific timelines and numbers have not been publicly disclosed, the move marks a significant development in the ongoing geopolitical competition for security influence in the Pacific region. Australian officials have previously raised concerns about Beijing's expanding security and policing agreements in neighbouring island nations.
Under the new arrangements, Vanuatu expects to rely more heavily on Australian support for domestic security, law enforcement and training, which is anticipated to displace the current Chinese police presence.
Details regarding the exact terms of the Nakamal Agreement, and how it will be implemented on the ground, remain thin. It is not yet clear how Beijing will respond to the expected reduction of its police personnel, or what specific transition period has been agreed upon by Port Vila and Canberra.
Both the Australian and Vanuatuan governments have kept the finer details of the transition confidential, and representatives from China's embassy in Vanuatu have not yet commented on the expected drawdown.
Observers will be watching for official statements from Beijing and Canberra regarding the implementation timeline of the Nakamal Agreement.
This report draws on original reporting by Wire report.
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