How Pacific nations walk a tightrope between Western security and Chinese trade

AI Summary

Pacific island nations navigate geopolitical tensions by balancing Western security assurances with Chinese economic investments. Countries like Vanuatu leverage this tug of war to secure defense guarantees while benefiting from Beijing's infrastructure projects.

On paper, Western countries are rushing to sign defence pacts in the South Pacific, ensuring their influence in a region long neglected as a geopolitical backwater. But on the water, the island nations are playing a very different game. Instead of taking sides, local leaders are leveraging the geopolitical tug of war between China and the West, winning security guarantees from the latter while Beijing builds infrastructure and deepens its economic footprint. In June, Vanuatu – an archipelago...