The small Pacific nation has rebuked Canberra while accepting $635,000 worth of equipment from the Chinese Communist Party.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles (L) and Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat (C) at a press conference on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, on Aug. 13, 2025, in a still from video. Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade via Reuters/Screenshot via The Epoch Times
A senior minister in Vanuatu’s government has told Australia it must respect the Pacific nation’s plan to sign a new policing agreement with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Internal Affairs Minister Andrew Napuat also singled out Australia’s Pacific Minister Pat Conroy over remarks he made about the deal.