Former Attorney General of Tuvalu, Feleti Teo was named as the new Prime Minister of Tuvalu on Monday after elections in January ousted the last government leader. Kausea Natano, the previous Prime Minister with three of his ministers were not re-elected.
It was not immediately clear how the new government will affect China’s influence in the country of around 11,500 people, half way between Australia and Hawaii. Tuvalu is one of 3 countries in the Pacific that still has diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of Beijing.
But the security treaty between Australia and Tuvalu made in November last year may be secured with Teo’s appointment as Prime Minister. He was one of those who strongly supported the agreement. The agreement gave Tuvaluans a pathway of migration to Australia, a relocation because of Climate Change effect on the islands. 280 Tuvaluans a year would be allowed to resettle in Australia.
But at the same time Australia holds exclusive security relationship with Tuvalu, including the fact Tuvalu cannot have a treaty with any other nation without Australian approval, a move that critics fear would compromise Tuvalu’s independence and sovereignty.
