Pacific Nation Plans to Expel Australian, NZ Advisors Amid Ongoing Beijing Influence

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai speaks during a bilateral meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (off frame) on the first day of a three-day visit by Salwai to New Zealand, in Wellington, New Zealand on Aug. 5, 2024. Marty Melville/AFP via Getty ImagesCross-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.