“Papua New Guinea Signs Security Pact with US to Counter China’s Influence in the Pacific”

The deal will give US forces access to Papua New Guinean ports and airports as Washington seeks to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific.

By Le Figaro with AFP

Posted on 05/22/2023 at 09:40update on 05/22/2023 at 10:12

The Papua New Guinea signed Monday, May 22 with the United States a security pact which will give American forces access to the ports and airports of this Pacific country, where Washington seeks to counter the influence of China.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Papua New Guinea for the United States-Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Port Moresby, which opens Monday.

Defense and maritime surveillance

Ahead of this meeting, Antony Blinken will sign a cooperation agreement in the field of maritime defense and surveillance which will allow American troops to access the country’s ports and airports. This agreement will allowimprove security cooperation and further strengthen our bilateral relations (…) and increase stability and security in the regionsaid the US State Department.

It will thus give the United States access to the waters of Papua New Guinea near the maritime routes to Australia and Japan, in exchange for access to American surveillance satellites, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea explained on Thursday. New Guinea, James Marape. If this pact is presented as an agreement aimed at protecting the country’s borders, China’s ambitions in the Pacific are a key reason for the American commitment in this region, point out the experts.

Trip canceled

«Even though China is not mentioned anywhere in the document, it is underlying the deepening of relations between the United States and Papua New Guinea.», Analyzes Gordon Peake, of the United States Institute for Peace. James Marape, however, clarified that this agreement would not prevent him from entering into similar alliances with other countries, including China.

Joe Biden, whose uncle died in Papua New Guinea during World War II, was originally set to become the first US president to visit the South Pacific country on Monday. But he canceled his trip due to negotiations on the US public debt, and was replaced by Antony Blinken.