US plans to open embassy in the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu

The U.S. will be opening an embassy in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific. Experts believe the move by the Biden administration comes as a means “to blunt China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific,” The Associated Press reported. “Consistent with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, a permanent diplomatic presence in Vanuatu would allow the U.S. government to deepen relationships with Vanuatu officials and society,” the State Department said in a statement. The embassy located on Port Vila marks the fifth diplomatic mission of the U.S. in the South Pacific region to be opened or announced in the past three…