China denies planning base on paradise island in Pacific

CHINA was yesterday forced to deny it wants to establish a military base on the tiny Pacific island of Vanuatu, after reports raised concern about Beijing’s increasing influence in the region.

The facility, which would be China’s second overseas base, would not only signal a new stage in Beijing’s growing military ambition, but also alter the balance of power in the South Pacific.

Vanuatu is about 1,200 miles from Australia, and both Canberra and New Zealand said they were monitoring developments. The Sydney Morning Herald said the base would be established over a number of years after Chinese ships had already used the island for refuelling and servicing.

The report said: “The prospect of a Chinese military outpost so close to Australia has been discussed at the highest levels in Canberra and Washington.”

Prof Rory Medcalf, the head of the national security college at the Australian National University, said the most “troubling implication” of a base in Vanuatu was that it “would give China a foothold for operations to coerce Australia, outflank the US and its base on US territory at Guam, and collect intelligence in a regional security crisis”.

The base “would mark an accumulative and long-term failure of bipartisan Australian policy”, he added.

However, officials in Vanuatu denied they had spoken to Chinese officials about the facility.

China’s defence ministry said the report “completely did not accord with the facts”, while a foreign ministry spokesman described it as “fake news”.

China has been investing heavily in Vanuatu, a country of 270,000 people with a growing tourist industry, and across the South Pacific region.

But Ralph Regenvanu, the Vanuatu foreign minister, said: “No one in the Vanuatu government has ever talked about a Chinese military base in Vanuatu of any sort. We are a non-aligned country. We are not interested in militarisation, we are just not interested in any sort of military base in our country,” he told ABC radio.

Julie Bishop, the Australian foreign minister, who visited the island last weekend with Prince Charles, said: “I remain confident that Australia is Vanuatu’s strategic partner of choice.”

Meanwhile, Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister of New Zealand, said: “We of course keep a watching eye on activity within the Pacific.”

Chinese experts also believe Beijing has no interest in setting up a military base on the island. Wei Dongxu, an independent Beijing-based military expert, told The Daily Telegraph: “I think China is seeking to improve local living standards and set up tourist possibilities with its construction work in Vanuatu. It is not trying to risk war with other countries.”

China established its first naval base in the East African nation of Djibouti last year. Officials called the facility a “support base” and said it would have mainly logistical functions.

However observers see it as a key part of Beijing’s plans to expand its global reach through military might. Regional powers – particularly India – are suspicious of China’s intentions. The base was established after Beijing nurtured deep investment links with Djibouti, which has a population of around a million.

Additional reporting by Christine Wei