Vanuatu PM Visits Huawei Amid Pacific Security Tensions

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai visited Huawei in Shenzhen to view surveillance technology, aiming to enhance policing and reduce criminal activity. His visit highlights concerns from Australia over China's influence in the Pacific Islands, particularly regarding security and technology partnerships.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai visited technology giant Huawei in Shenzhen to review surveillance technologies aimed at enhancing law enforcement and reducing crime, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday. Salwai, who is headed to Shanghai next, will attend a Pacific Island leaders meeting in Japan next week.

China stands as Vanuatu's largest external creditor and a key provider of infrastructure. However, Australia, Vanuatu's primary aid donor and policing partner, has voiced apprehensions about China's security objectives in the Pacific Islands, especially following Beijing's recent agreements with Vanuatu and Solomon Islands. Huawei has supplied digital systems to cities like Port Vila to mitigate crime, according to a Vanuatu government social media post.

The surveillance system requires a dedicated data center in Vanuatu, the statement added. However, a spokesperson for the Vanuatu prime minister's office informed Reuters that the local police force currently does not employ Huawei's surveillance technology.

With a population of approximately 300,000 across an archipelago, including about 50,000 in the capital Port Vila, Vanuatu remains a focal point of geopolitical rivalry. Australia has banned Huawei from its 5G network for national security reasons and has heavily invested in subsea telecommunications cables to Pacific Island nations to counter Huawei's competing offers.

Beijing has previously criticized Canberra, suggesting that national security concerns should not be used as a pretext for discriminatory practices.

(With inputs from agencies.)