Cross-border efforts to stem the inflow of drugs and tackle other organised crime activity in the Pacific may be just one casualty of a surprise decision by the Vanuatu government to expel all foreign advisers and police officers from government buildings, citing the need to protect its own sovereignty.
There is also uncertainty about what effect this will have on the as-yet-unsigned Nakamal Agreement, which Australia is pursuing partly to act as a bulwark against Beijing’s increasing influence in the region.
Since 2022, when it signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, Beijing has steadily been establishing a foothold across the Pacific, dispatching police advisers to the Solomons, Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and beyond, and gaining agreement from the Cook Islands earlier this year to enter a comprehensive strategic partnership….
Pacific Nation Plans to Expel Australian, NZ Advisors Amid Ongoing Beijing Influence
