Australia and Vanuatu signed a long-awaited bilateral security and economic treaty Monday that prevents China creating a military base on the South Pacific island nation.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the so-called Nakamal Agreement with his Vanuatu counterpart Jotham Napat in the Australian capital nine months after the Vanuatuan government rejected an earlier draft. Vanuatu had feared the deal would limit its ability to attract infrastructure investment.
