MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Vanuatu is not yet ready to sign a security and economic treaty with Australia over concerns the bilateral pact could restrict the South Pacific island nation’s ability to secure infrastructure funding from a third country, Vanuatuan Prime Minister Jotham Napat said on Tuesday.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had hoped to sign the 500 million Australian dollar ($330 million) deal during a visit to the capital, Port Vila, on Tuesday. The agreement is one of several that Australia is pursuing to prevent China from gaining security influence in the region.

But hours before flying from Australia, Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp. he didn’t expect to sign the landmark pact on Tuesday.

Napat said at a press conference with Albanese after the pa

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