US and PNG defense and maritime cooperation agreement
Papa New Guinea has signed a defense and maritime cooperation agreement with the US during the US Pacific Islands Forum in the capital Port Moresby.
The agreement was signed by Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who flew into the country early on Monday in place of US President Joe Biden.
President Biden was supposed to be the first US president to visit a Pacific Island nation on Monday, however, the trip was cancelled and the President returned to Washington from the G7 summit in Hiroshima to focus on domestic problems.
In a meeting with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, Blinken said the United States would deepen its partnership across the board with the country.
The defense cooperation, drafted by Papua New Guinea and the United States as equal and sovereign partners, will enhance the PNG's defense force’s capabilities, to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, including, through providing medical care and temporary shelter to those who are affected by crisis.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
Marape, for his part hailed the deal as a mutually beneficial agreement.
Both sides have agreed that the agreement that we signed today is mutually beneficial, especially in the context of Papua New Guinea, which secures our national interest to grow into becoming a robust economy in this part of the world, as we meet today, and going forward.
Prime Minister James Marape, Papua New Guinea
The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape, said that to implement the deal, there would be an increased presence of US military personnel and contractors over the next two years, however, he insisted that the Americans will not establish a US military base on the island.
Marape also denied reports that American staff would have legal immunity and said no amendments would be made to the Constitution or laws of the country.
The denial came after a leaked draft document suggested Port Moresby has given US personnel and contractors legal immunity, allowing aircraft, vehicles, and, naval vessels operated by or on behalf of the US to move freely within its territory and territorial waters and exemptions for US staff from all migration requirements.
The US State Department announced the new pact covers security, defense, and, maritime surveillance, providing $45 million to help improve bilateral cooperation, including protective equipment for the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF).
PNG, with a population of nearly 10 million people, is the most populous Pacific island nation, located just north of Australia.
The region has witnessed increasing militarization in recent years, raising concerns among civil society groups which accuse Marape of setting the stage for future hostilities between the US and China.
The former Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Peter O'Neill, accused his successor of placing the country at the epicenter of a military storm between China and the US by agreeing to enter into defense agreements with both superpowers without any consultation with the people.
The opposition leader, Joseph Lelang, from the People's National Congress said last week: "we should not be blinded by the dollar sign or be coerced into signing deals that may be detrimental to us in the long run". He stressed that the foreign policy of Papua New Guinea is 'friends to all and enemies to none'.
In the midst of growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing in the Pacific region, China has warned against geopolitical Games in the South Pacific, after the US signed a security agreement with Papua New Guinea.
What we must be vigilant about is the use of cooperation as a pretext for engaging in geopolitical games and we believe no cooperation should target third parties.
Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, however, stressed that China has no objection to normal exchanges and equal, mutually beneficial, cooperation with Pacific island nations, including Papua New Guinea.
She said any negotiation and cooperation agreement should benefit regional peace, development, and, the stability.
The Pacific nations manage around 20% of the world's oceans. These hugely important maritime routes were used in World War Two to transport supplies to Australia and New Zealand.
Western interests in the Pacific waned after the war, but Chinese investment in the region has grown.
Beijing has worked to strengthen ties with several island nations over the last decade by sending aid and investing in schools, roads and bridges.
However, in recent years, the US has been expanding its military presence in the Pacific as part of its strategic shift to East Asia, where it seeks to contain the growing power of China.
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