Australia advances Fiji security pact as Vanuatu deal stalls amid China pushback

Australia is moving ahead with plans to deepen security ties with Fiji while a separate agreement with Vanuatu remains stalled amid China-related diplomatic friction.

The Australian government said Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy are visiting Fiji to progress the Vuvale Union, a pact it says will strengthen strategic, economic and institutional cooperation, including regional fuel security.

The Fiji visit comes as reporting continues to point to delays in finalising Australia's separate agreement with Vanuatu. Earlier coverage said the Nakamal Agreement had not yet been formalised, and Vanuatu's prime minister said talks with China were a development cooperation arrangement, not a security pact.

Vanuatu's prime minister's office said those delays are not linked to China. But the broader diplomatic backdrop has fed speculation that Beijing's influence is complicating Canberra's Pacific security push.

For now, the key question is whether Australia and Fiji will formally announce or sign anything during the visit, and whether the Vanuatu track can be revived or will remain unsigned.