Vanuatu

Political environment

1. Political system
On March 19, 2020, Vanuatu held a general election. In mid April, a new government was established in Vanuatu, consisting of the Waku Party, the National United Party, the Moderate Party Alliance, the Ioko Group, the Rural Development Party, the Green Party Alliance, and other coalition members. The Waku Party Chairman, Bob Rafman, was appointed as the Prime Minister.

The Constitution was enacted in 1979 and came into effect in 1980. The Constitution stipulates that the President is elected by an electoral college composed of the chairpersons of parliament and local committees, with a term of 5 years. Legislative power belongs to parliament, executive power belongs to

Vanuatu Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The general reason for this is the parliamentary election, and the cabinet ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister. October 5th is Constitution Day. The Constitution stipulates that all land in Vanuatu belongs to the indigenous people and their descendants.

The parliament is a unicameral system with a total of 52 seats and a term of 4 years. Two regular meetings are held annually, and special meetings may be held at the request of a majority of members, the Speaker, or the Prime Minister. This parliament was elected in March 2020 and officially established in April. The current speaker is Chadrack Gracia, a member of the Leadership Party.

The current President of Vanuatu, Talis Obed Moses, took office in July 2017; The current Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Bob Rafman, took office in April 2020.

The appellate court, the Supreme Court, and the district court responsible for traditional affairs constitute the judicial system in Vanuatu. The Attorney General is Kiel Loughman. The Chief Justice is nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the President. Current Chief Justice Vincent Lunabeck.

Vanuatu does not have a regular army, but has about 900 police and mobile units under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. Vanuatu has signed defense agreements with Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea (referred to as "Papua New Guinea"). Vanuatu police and mobile unit personnel participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations in East Timor and Bosnia, the Papua New Bougainville Peace Monitoring Mission, and the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands.

2. Main political parties
Vanuaaku Party, a member of the ruling coalition, formerly known as the New Hebrides National Party, was founded in 1971 and is the oldest political party in Vanuatu. In 1977, it was changed to its current name. The party has been in power continuously since Vanuatu's independence in 1980 until 1991. In April 1999, it officially established inter party relations with the CPC, and was the first party in the Pacific island country to establish inter party relations with the Communist Party of China. The chairman is Bob Laffman.

The National United Party is a member of the ruling coalition, established in September 1991, mainly composed of the Lini faction of the former Vanuaku Party. In March 2004, it officially established inter party relations with the CPC. Chairman Bruno Rankine.

The Union of Moderate Parties, a member of the ruling coalition founded in 1974, is one of the most influential French speaking political parties in Vanuatu. Chairman Serge Warhol.

The opposition party, Land and Justice Party, was founded in 2010. Claiming respect for land and tradition, believing that chiefs, churches, women, and children are the four pillars of Vanuatu's country, and promoting national development through the protection of its own land and commerce. Chairman Ralph Reagan Vanu.

The opposition party of the Unification of Movement for Change. Established in 2012. Formed by the departure of the then Vice Chairman of the Moderate Party Alliance, Salvi. During his visit to China in 2016 to attend the Dialogue between the Communist Party of China and the World, Salvi established inter party relations with the Communist Party of China. Chairman Charlotte Salvi.

The Leaders Party of Vanuatu, an opposition party founded in 2015, is chaired by Jotan Napat.

3. Diplomatic relations
Vanuatu actively participates in international affairs and strengthens traditional bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Vanuatu has established diplomatic relations with 74 countries and is a member of the United Nations, the Non Aligned Organization, the Commonwealth, the Community of la Francophonie, the Pacific Island Forum, the Melanesian Vanguard Group, as well as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Emphasize maintaining its constructive role in the Asia Pacific region to seek a development environment of peace, harmony, nuclear free, and effective cooperation within the region. In March 2018, Vanuatu officially became a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Established diplomatic relations with the United States in 1986. The US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea also serves as the Ambassador to Vanuatu. In 1989, the United States signed an agreement to send a peace team to Vanuatu. Since then, the United States has sent dozens of peace team members every year to help Vanuatu develop its education. The United States also sponsors Vanuatu police and mobile units to provide professional training in the United States. In 2005, the United States listed Vanuatu as one of its "Millennium Challenge" aid countries and signed an agreement with Vanuatu in March 2006. Over the following five years, the United States provided $65.69 million to Vanuatu for infrastructure development. In 2015, the United States provided approximately $2.1 million in aid primarily through the Peace Corps in areas such as education, healthcare, and humanitarian assistance. In addition, the United States also provides development assistance to Vanuatu through institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations Children's Development Fund, and the World Health Organization.

Australia is the largest donor to Vanuatu. In 2008, Australia announced that Vanuatu would be included in the first pilot program for seasonal workers in the Pacific region, allowing them to work in seasonal jobs such as vegetable and fruit picking in Australia. This plan has been implemented since 2009. Australia has a high authority in Vanuatu. In the 2018/19 fiscal year, we provided assistance of AUD 63 million to Vanuatu, with a focus on education, healthcare, and the rule of law. Wa'ao has signed a defense agreement. Australia is Vanuatu's largest trading partner and source of imported products. Vanuatu mainly imports food, computer equipment, tobacco, alcohol, and building materials from Australia, and exports beef, seafood, wooden products, etc. Australia is the main source of tourism for Vanuatu, with two-thirds of its long-term visitors coming from Australia. In March 2015, Australian Foreign Minister Bishop visited Vanuatu. In June 2018, Prime Minister Salvi visited Australia. In January 2019, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Vanuatu.

The relationship with New Zealand was established in 1980. In 1991, the two countries signed a defense cooperation agreement. In 2007, the New Zealand government allowed Vanuatu seasonal workers to travel to New Zealand to engage in fruit picking and other work. New Zealand is one of the main donors to Vanuatu, with a total aid of SGD 22.64 million in the 2018/19 fiscal year. Vanuatu mainly imports drugs, aircraft parts, wood, steel, refrigerants, and refined oil from New Zealand, and exports fish and fish products, metal waste and scraps, coconuts, palm oil, and coffee to New Zealand. New Zealand is one of the main source countries for Vanuatu's tourism industry. New Zealand has a high authority in Vanuatu. In June 2016, New Zealand Foreign Minister McCalli visited Warsaw. In August, Prime Minister Salvi paid an official visit to New Zealand. In May 2019, Venezuelan Prime Minister Salvi made another official visit to Singapore.

【 Relations with Britain and France 】 Britain and France were originally co administered suzerainties of Vanuatu. The UK once reduced its aid to Vanuatu and closed the High Commissioner's Office in Vanuatu in 2005. But in recent years, the UK has gradually increased its investment in Vanuatu and re established the High Commissioner's Office in Vanuatu in 2019. In March 2018, Prince Charles of the United Kingdom visited Vanuatu. France has an embassy in Vanuatu and is one of the main donors to Vanuatu. Its assistance to Vanuatu mainly involves education, health, culture, military, and justice. France cooperates with Vanuatu in defense through the French military stationed in New Caledonia. In January 2017, Prime Minister Salvi visited France. In April 2018, Prime Minister Wah attended the Commonwealth Government Summit in London. In May, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu met with French President Macron.

Established diplomatic relations with Japan in 1981. In 2019, Japan established its embassy in Vanuatu. Since the 1990s, the relationship between China and Japan has developed rapidly. Both sides have established joint ventures in fishing, meat processing, tourism, and other areas. As of the end of 2010, Japan provided $92.78 million in project assistance and $57.16 million in technical cooperation aid to Vanuatu through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Japan has assisted in the construction of the Santo Hydropower Station project, the Vila Port renovation project, and the Vila Port Central Hospital expansion project for Vanuatu. Japan also dispatched volunteers and experts to Vanuatu to provide assistance in areas such as education, technology, and socio-economic development.  

Vanuatu has close relations with the European Union. From 1975 to 2000, Vanuatu received a total of $84 million in aid from the European Union, of which 91% was used for projects such as fisheries, agriculture, education, and infrastructure construction. Vanuatu is the only government financial recipient of the European Union among Pacific island countries. According to the 11th European Development Fund of the European Union, the EU will provide approximately 31 million euros in aid to Vanuatu from 2014 to 2020. In October 2014, the European Union and Vanuatu held political consultations in Port Vila, where the two sides had in-depth discussions on human rights, governance, and the rule of law. In June 2016, Mimika, a member of the European Commission responsible for international cooperation and development, visited Warsaw. In January 2017, Vanuatu Prime Minister Salvi led a delegation to attend the Fourth EU Vanuatu High Level Political Dialogue Annual Meeting held in Brussels.

Vanuatu, along with Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Fiji, is a member of the Melanesian Vanguard Group (MSG). The group holds an annual meeting to coordinate its position on regional affairs. The Group Secretariat is currently located in Port Vila. In September 2017, Prime Minister Salvi officially signed the Pacific Closer Economic Relations Agreement.

The National Convention Center aided by the Chinese government
China and Vanuatu established diplomatic relations on March 26, 1982, and bilateral relations have since developed well. In recent years, high-level visits have been frequent. In addition to bilateral trade, the two countries have also made certain progress in cooperation in areas such as tourism, fisheries, and communication. For many years, the Chinese side has provided assistance to Vanuatu within its capabilities, implementing a number of large-scale complete projects such as the South Pacific University Emmanuel Campus, Agricultural College, Aquatic Products Processing Plant, National Convention Center, Pacific Small Games Sports Stadium, and Malapo School Expansion; We have been carrying out medical technology cooperation and table tennis technology cooperation projects between Villa and Santo for many years. In 2015, China provided emergency humanitarian aid worth 30 million RMB to Vanuatu. In September 2015, then Vanuatu Prime Minister Kilman attended the "70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti Fascist War" series of events.   In April 2019, Vanuatu Finance Minister Piquiouen led a delegation to attend the "the Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum. In May 2019, Vanuatu Prime Minister Salvi made his first official visit to China. In October 2019, the Third China Pacific Island Countries Economic Development Cooperation Forum was held in Apia, the capital of Samoa. Vice Premier Hu Chunhua met with Prime Minister Salvi who was attending the forum. In November 2019, Vanuatu's Foreign Minister Regen Vanu led a delegation to attend the 2nd China International Import Expo.

4. Government agencies
The Cabinet, also known as the Council of Ministers. The main members of the current cabinet include Prime Minister Bob Loughman and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Alastair Ish

Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Marc Ati, Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works Jay Ngwele, Minister of Finance and Economic Management Johnny Koanapo, Minister of Justice and Community Services Esmon Simon, Minister of Tourism and Commerce James Bule, Minister of Land, Geology and Natural Resources Jack Norris Kalmet, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Fisheries and Biosecurity Willy Willie Daniel Kalo, Minister of Education Seoule Simeon, Minister of Health Silas Bule, Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geohazards, Environment and Energy Bruno Leingkone, Minister of Youth Development, Training and Sports Willie Satearoto Pakoa.