Vanuatu’s prime minister has visited a Chinese company to look at surveillance technology used to enhance policing and reduce criminal activity.
Prime Minister Charlot Salwai took a tour of the digital communications giant Huawei in the city of Shenzhen earlier this week.
Salwai is visiting China before attending a Pacific Island leaders meeting in Japan next week.
China is Vanuatu's largest external creditor and a major infrastructure provider. Australia is Vanuatu's biggest aid donor and policing partner.
Vanuatu is located about 2,200 miles northeast of Australia. It has a population of around 300,000 across an archipelago.
Australia has expressed concern at China's security ambitions in the Pacific Islands region after Beijing signed a policing equipment deal with Vanuatu last year.
Reuters reported that Australia has banned Huawei from participating in its 5G network on national security grounds. It has invested heavily in funding subsea telecommunications cables to Pacific Island nations to shut out a competing offer from Huawei.
Beijing has previously said Canberra should not use the excuse of national security to erect barriers and conduct discriminatory practices.
