U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Papua New Guinea to sign a new security pact with the island nation, to the north of Australia.
The agreement is intended to strengthen the security and stability of the region, the U.S. State Department said, as the U.S. and China vie for influence in the Pacific region.
Washington is heavily courting the Indo-Pacific countries to counter China’s ambitions there.
According to the department, the agreement will give U.S. forces access to ports and airports, something that is highly controversial in the Pacific nation.
“Students gathered for protests across the country on Monday, but Prime Minister James Marape pointed out that Papua New Guinea has maintained military relations with the United States since 1989.’’
In addition to bilateral talks, Blinken is also planning to meet heads of state and government from 14 Pacific states, including New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also traveled to the Pacific island.
Blinken traveled to Papua New Guinea in place of U.S. President Joe Biden, who cancelled his planned visit to the island last week.
Biden wanted to return to Washington directly after the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima because of the budget dispute at home.
The cancellation caused disappointment in Papua New Guinea because it would have been the first visit to the country by a sitting U.S. president. (dpa/NAN)
