New Caledonia heads to a referendum to choose whether to stay with France as tensions run high in the nickel-rich Pacific territory
The South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia decides December 12, 2021, whether to break away from France, in a vote that is important for French geopolitical ambitions and is closely watched amid growing Chinese influence in the region.
The vote comes against the backdrop of increasingly strained ties between Paris and its regional allies. "If the French safeguard disappears, all elements would be in place for China to establish itself permanently in New Caledonia," said international relations analyst Bastien Vandendyck. New Caledonia's 270,000 inhabitants were largely spared during the pandemic's first phase, but have suffered close to 300 Covid-19 deaths since the recent appearance of the Delta variant.
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