Papua New Guinea (PNG) signed a defence pact with the United States on Monday, giving US forces access to its airfields and ports as Washington vies with China’s expanding footprint in the Pacific region.
Washington has growing concerns about China’s rise in the Pacific, where it is trying to woo nations with an array of diplomatic and financial incentives in return for strategic support.
Defence Minister Win Bakri Daki inked the deal with US State Secretary Antony Blinken before the start of a US meeting with the leaders of 14 South Pacific island states in the capital Port Moresby.
“A defence cooperation agreement is done,” Prime Minister James Marape said at the signing ceremony, adding that the Pacific island was “elevating” its relationship with the United States.
Blinken said each of the two nations would be able to board the other’s vessels, share technical expertise and “better patrol” the seas together.
“We are working together to shape the future. We are very much looking forward to taking our partnership to the next level,” he said.
Intensifying rivalry
In a sign of the intensifying rivalry over the South Pacific, Blinken was not alone in representing major powers aiming to counter Beijing’s growing economic, political and military presence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew into town just hours before him on the eve of his own summit, asserting his nation’s role as a regional power in the face of China’s rise.
“We share your belief in multilateralism. We support a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. We respect the sovereignty and integrity of all countries,” Modi told Pacific leaders in a separate summit.
By signing the security deal with PNG, Blinken will also expand the US military’s capacity to deploy in the region.
Beijing has snapped up mines and ports across the Pacific and last year inked a secretive security pact with the Solomon Islands that allows China to deploy troops to the country.
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The United States fears that a Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific could outflank its facilities on Guam, and make the defence of Taiwan more complicated in the event of a Chinese invasion.
The State Department said the pact with PNG would “enhance security cooperation and further strengthen our bilateral relationship, improve the capacity of the PNG Defence Force, and increase stability and security in the region”.
