Australia vies for Pacific influence with new security deal

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has signed a new security deal with Oceania island country Vanuatu as part of an ongoing competition with China for influence in the Pacific. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who announced the deal, is leading a bipartisan delegation to Vanuatu and two other Pacific nations. The new security pact covers humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, law enforcement, cyber security, defense, border security and maritime safety. The full text of the agreement has yet to be released. Earlier this year, China signed a security deal with the Solomon Islands, raising alarm in the South Pacific that it could lead to a military buildup.