AKIPRESS.COM - Australia has warned Vanuatu against any moves to allow a greater Chinese military presence in the Pacific nation.

Vanuatu has angrily denied it is in talks with Beijing about a Chinese military base being built in the Pacific country.

Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu said reports in Fairfax Media that the two countries were in preliminary discussions were false.
"No-one in the Vanuatu Government has ever talked about a Chinese military base in Vanuatu of any sort," he told the ABC's Pacific Beat program.

"We are a non-aligned country. We are not interested in militarisation, we are just not interested in any sort of military base in our country," ABC reported.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that was crucial for maintaining peace in the region.

"We would view with great concern the establishment of any foreign military bases in those Pacific Island countries and neighbours of ours," Mr Turnbull said.

"What those countries are looking to us and other nations for is investment in economic infrastructure and social infrastructure".

Fairfax, citing unnamed sources, said no formal proposal had yet been made but the prospect of a Chinese military outpost so close to Australia had been discussed at the highest levels in Canberra and Washington.

"I'm not very happy about the standard of reporting in the Australia media," Mr Regenvanu said.

"I would hope the upsurge in the paranoia about China in Australia is not used to destroy or denigrate the good relationship Vanuatu has with Australia."