BLUF
The new $500m agreement with Vanuatu highlights how smaller nations can reshape regional partnerships—leveraging climate priorities, mobility demands, and strategic competition—to secure significant concessions and long-term influence. Diplomatic sway has now shifted.Learning Outcomes
- Strategic Awareness- Builds understanding of how smaller states use leverage in regional competition to secure favourable terms.
- Communication & Cognition- Highlights the role of political negotiation, public signalling, and shifting expectations in international agreements.
