Chinese foreign minister’s Pacific tour continues in Vanuatu

Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Vanuatu for talks as he continues his regional island-hopping tour two days after failing to ink an ambitious deal with 10 South Pacific nations. While Wang didn’t manage to get consensus on the multilateral security and economic plan at a meeting in Fiji after several nations voiced concerns, he has been notching up smaller wins by signing bilateral agreements with many of the countries he’s been visiting. China and the Pacific countries haven’t so far made the details of those deals public. Wang arrived from Tonga, where he signed more deals. His tour comes amid growing international concerns about Beijing’s military ambitions and pursuit of natural resources in the region.