Summarised by Centrist
A new national security bill requires all foreign security advisers to operate only from their own embassies or “neutral venues,” blocking routine access to Vanuatu Police Headquarters and other state institutions. The government says the change is needed to protect sovereignty from “outside influence.”
The decision that will hit Australia and New Zealand far harder than China, which has been rapidly expanding its influence across the Pacific.
Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Napuat visited China in September, declaring that Vanuatu was willing to “deepen practical cooperation” on policing and law enforcement. He also accepted $635,000 in equipment from Beijing and rebuked Canberra for “bullying.”
Vanuatu’s recent refusal to sign Australia’s $500 million Nakamal Agreement, claiming it would limit its freedom to seek infrastructure funding elsewhere, has raised concerns about Beijing’s expanding police presence in the region.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has police and Defence Force personnel in Vanuatu “at the request of the Government of Vanuatu” and is assessing how the new rules will affect operations.
Security analysts warn the expulsion will disrupt joint efforts to combat drug trafficking and organised crime. The US State Department recently placed Vanuatu on its Tier 2 trafficking watchlist, citing significant and rising victim numbers and insufficient action by authorities.
Vanuatu’s government insists the new policy applies equally to all foreign powers.
Read more over at The Epoch Times
Image: Phillip Capper
