Anthony Blinken (left) shakes hands with Papua New Guinea Defense Minister Win Bakri Dhaki Photo: ADEK BERRY/AFP < p>United States will be able to station troops and ships at military bases in Papua New Guinea (PNG) under a new security agreement that could play a decisive role in a clash with China over Taiwan.
New Defense Agreement cooperation adds Papua New Guinea, which spans almost 180,000 square miles in the South Pacific, to a growing arc of regional alliances to counter China's rising military ambitions.
The 15-year pact was negotiated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during a rare visit to Port Moresby that signaled the strategic importance of the Pacific nation to the north of Australia, the site of fierce battles during World War II.
The deal was signed last month, but details of its scope only emerged this week, revealing that U.S. troops have been given “unhindered access” to key local defense installations, including the Lombrum naval base. on Manus Island, as well as the airports at Port Moresby, Lae, and Momote.
According to one document, Washington will be allowed to use sites for the “preliminary placement of equipment, supplies and materials”, as well as the “exclusive use” of certain areas where development and “construction work” can take place.
China – US military alliance arcThe deal also includes surveillance, reconnaissance activities, ship bunkering and deployment of forces, Australia's ABC reported.
This could provide US troops with vital footholds in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait or elsewhere in the disputed South China Sea.
Lombrum is a coveted deep water port that has historically been used as a garrison for British, German, Japanese, Australian and American troops, and where China has also sought to establish a presence in recent years.
Beijing. its own security pact with the neighboring Solomon Islands, signed in 2022, was a wake-up call that it could pave the way for Chinese troops and warships stationed less than 1,200 miles off the coast of Australia.
During World War II, both the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea played a central role in the Allied effort to retake the Philippines from Japan. The two countries are now increasingly embroiled in the growing rivalry between China and the US as they vie for influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Former Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogaware. Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022. Credit: Thomas Peter/Pool Reuters
Several Asian countries are also stepping up defense cooperation with Washington as regional capitals grow increasingly nervous about China's military buildup and the potential for conflict.
In February, the Philippines gave the green light to expanding US access. forces at bases in the north and west of the country, facing possible flashpoints over Taiwan and challenging the features of the South China Sea.
The U.S. has also begun talks with Japan to deploy a new multifunctional army unit with its ally that will deal with long-range strikes, air defense, intelligence, cyber warfare, electronic warfare and logistics, Nikkei Asia said Thursday.
Washington has long emphasized the indispensable role of the Indo-Pacific region and its trillion-dollar trade routes to global security.
During the signing of the PNG security pact, Mr. Blinken said: “We' we are investing deeply in the Indo-Pacific because the future of our planet is written here.”
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said the deal was mutually beneficial and “ensures our national interest” in to “become a strong economy in this part of the world.”
But he is facing growing internal criticism that it could put the resource-rich country at greater risk of being drawn into a war.
Peter O'Neill, a former prime minister, said the agreement painted a target on the back of Papua New Guinea.
“America is doing this to protect its national interests, we all understand the geopolitics going on inside our countries. region,” he said.
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