Hal Brands, Columnist

Australia-China Tension Is a Case of World War II Deja Vu

A new security treaty with tiny Vanuatu is a big response to China’s pact with the Solomon Islands.

December 20, 2022 at 10:00 PM UTC

Hal Brands is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and the Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Divas and destroyers.
Photographer: William West/AFP/Getty Images

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The future of the South Pacific is starting to look a lot like its past. During World War II, Japanese expansion threatened Australia’s very existence. Today, Australian officials fear a power-hungry China is positioning itself to threaten their nation’s vital sea lanes.

Beijing recently stole a march by signing a security agreement with the Solomon Islands. Australia is now pushing back by strengthening ties with another small but strategically situated island country, Vanuatu.