US, Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in Pacific

2023-05-22 07:31:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

US, Papua New Guinea poised to sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for

The United States and Papua New Guinea are poised to sign a new bilateral defense cooperation agreement - a move that has sparked controversy in the Pacific island nation and comes as Washington and China vie for influence in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape had planned to sign the pact and a maritime security agreement during Blinken's visit to the capital Port Moresby on Sunday and Monday, the US State Department said on Thursday. .

The preliminary text of the agreements was not released by either side, but the new defense cooperation was expected to expand US access to military and other facilities in PNG, strengthening Washington's security ties in the South Pacific.

That region—a constellation of sparsely populated island and archipelago nations and territories, as well as New Zealand and Australia—is of great strategic importance. The Pacific Islands, for example, were the site of decisive battles during World War II.

The region has taken on new importance for Washington as it seeks to strengthen its relationship and presence in Asia amid rising tensions with an assertive China that has rapidly expanded its naval capabilities in recent years.

Those concerns were compounded last year after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands — and tried, but failed, to win support for a comprehensive regional trade and security communiqué with the Pacific island nations.

Blinken's visit to PNG comes after US President Joe Biden last week cut short a trip to Asia that would have included stops in Port Moresby and Sydney, Australia, due to ongoing debt ceiling negotiations in the country.

The new pact

In a statement on Saturday, PNG framed its pending agreement with the US as an opportunity to advance its national defense infrastructure and capacity at a time of growing global security concerns.

"Papua New Guinea has no enemies, but it is worth preparing. The territorial dispute is (imminent), as in the case of Ukraine-Russia", the statement said.

"This agreement is not about geopolitics, but rather recognizes the country's need to build up its defense capabilities because border disputes are inevitable in the future," he said, adding that he did not exclude the government from "the job". with other countries, including China.

China has become an important player in the country's economy, both as an investor and consumer of its rich natural resources.

According to the State Department, the US and PNG militaries already have a cooperative security assistance relationship focused primarily on joint humanitarian exercises and training of PNG military personnel.

The signing of the agreement has sparked debate in Papua New Guinea - including a lack of transparency from the government about what it included, as allegedly leaked drafts circulated online.

The pact would need parliamentary approval and could face court challenges, experts say.

But his signature would send a significant message to the region./ CNA.al

"PNG's signing of a defense agreement signals to the rest of the Pacific that its largest nation has chosen the West - Australia and the US - as its security partner," said Maholopa Laveil, FDC Pacific Fellow at the Lowy Institute. sent by the University of Papua New Guinea.

The pact, if signed – after Fiji reportedly ended its police training agreement with China earlier this year – “are major victories, getting the largest Pacific countries on the side of the US in its efforts to limit China's influence in the region," said Laveil. adding that Marape could "use the threat of China" to seek more development aid from the US.

Meanwhile, Australia is preparing to sign its own security treaty with PNG.