UNITED STATES: The US intends to establish an embassy in Vanuatu as part of its efforts to increase its diplomatic representation in the Pacific to counter China’s influence.
This would be consistent with US Indo-Pacific policy and strengthen partnerships with Ni-Vanuatu officials and society.
Vanuatu is a country in the South Pacific with a population of 319,000 people divided among 80 islands. The US maintains diplomatic relations with it, but its diplomats are currently headquartered in New Guinea.
The opening of a US embassy in Port Vila would enhance bilateral cooperation and development assistance, including measures to address the climate issue.
The United States reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands this year after a 30-year absence, and Tonga and Kiribati are slated to receive additional US embassies.
An international port in Honiara will be upgraded thanks to a multimillion-dollar contract awarded to a Chinese state enterprise.
The Solomon Islands signed a security agreement with Beijing last year, and the United States and its allies in the region have been worried that China wants to establish a naval station in the area.
Washington has been attempting to extend accords with the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
The Biden administration is requesting more than $7 billion over the next two decades for economic assistance to protect the three nations from the rise of China.
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