Vanuatu under Walter Lini also sought to create solid relations with Asia , and , by the end of the decade , had established official diplomatic relations with the People 's Republic of China , Japan , South Korea , North Korea , Thailand , Malaysia , Singapore , Vietnam and the Philippines .
By the end of the 1980s , the country had established diplomatic relations with the China , Japan , South Korea , North Korea , Thailand , Malaysia , Singapore , Vietnam and the Philippines .