Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Vanuatu
Relationship assessment
Development assistance and Vanuatu's recognition of the PRC underpin cooperative ties
People's Republic of China toward Vanuatu
+40The Chinese government has provided development assistance for infrastructure and other projects in Vanuatu and has pursued expanded economic cooperation, including through the Belt and Road Initiative.
Vanuatu toward People's Republic of China
+35The Vanuatu government recognizes the People's Republic of China and has joined cooperation initiatives with Beijing, including the Belt and Road Initiative. Vanuatu's brief 2004 recognition of Taiwan disrupted relations before the government returned to recognizing the PRC.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship is shaped by Chinese development assistance and Vanuatu's diplomatic recognition of the PRC. These provide a sustained basis for cooperation, although a short-lived recognition dispute in 2004 demonstrated some vulnerability in the diplomatic relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Vanuatu maintain a cooperative relationship, with Chinese government assistance supporting infrastructure and other development projects in Vanuatu. Vanuatu recognizes the People's Republic of China and has endorsed cooperation initiatives including the Belt and Road Initiative. A brief diplomatic disruption followed Vanuatu's 2004 recognition of Taiwan, but the relationship subsequently returned to the PRC framework.
Areas of tension
- Vanuatu's 2004 recognition of Taiwan temporarily disrupted relations with the PRC.
Key developments
China and Vanuatu established diplomatic relations.
Vanuatu briefly recognized Taiwan, disrupting its diplomatic relationship with China, before returning to recognition of the PRC.
Vanuatu joined China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and terms of Chinese government financing and assistance to Vanuatu are unclear.
- The extent of Vanuatu's support for Chinese positions beyond its recognition policy is uncertain.