Vanuatu's Sato Kilman: A New Prime Minister Seeking Closer China Ties Amid Australia Security Pact Revisit
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Reuters
Sato Kilman has been elected as the new prime minister of Vanuatu after a court upheld a vote of no-confidence in his predecessor, Ishmael Kalsakau. Kilman, a former prime minister and leader of the People's Progressive Party, plans to review foreign policy to benefit Vanuatu and seek new export markets. The political crisis in Vanuatu was triggered by opposition parties criticizing Kalsakau for signing a security pact with Australia, which they believed compromised the country's "neutral" status and jeopardized development assistance from China. The United States and its allies are trying to discourage Pacific Islands nations from establishing security ties with China. Kilman has previously served as prime minister and expelled Australian Federal Police from Vanuatu in 2012.