US eyes Papua New Guinea's airports, ports in defence pact to be signed during Biden’s trip

The United States is reportedly close to finalising a major defence deal with Papua New Guinea that will allow its armed forces to access the Pacific country’s ports and airports—a move that is being seen as a counter to China’s growing influence in the Pacific region.

According to Nikkei Asia, the deal will be signed when United States President Joe Biden visits Papua New Guinea after the Group of Seven's May 19-21 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Biden will meet Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and other Pacific Island leaders, where they will "discuss ways to deepen cooperation on challenges critical to the region and to the United States such as combating climate change, protecting maritime resources, and advancing resilient and inclusive economic growth," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement this week.

The report, quoting officials familiar with the negotiations, noted that the deal would allow US troops to use certain facilities and areas in Papua New Guinea on the condition that they mutually agree.

The potential locations that are being discussed include Momote Airport, Jacksons International Airport, Nadzab Airport, Lombrum Naval Base, the Seaport of Lae and Port Moresby, according to the report.

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US and China have been one-upping each other in a bid to grow influence in the Pacific region.

For US, Papua New Guinea is a key strategic area as it is located at the southern tip of the so-called second island chain, which includes Japan's Ogasawara Islands and the US territory of Guam.

It comes after China signed a major security pact with another Pacific country Solomon Islands in April 2022.

US believes that China may eventually establish a base there or use it as a resupply point and expand its range of activity close to the second island chain.

A state-backed Chinese company has won a contract to develop the international port in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara.

Apart from the US, Papua New Guinea is also being courted by Beijing. Marape was invited to Beijing later this year, while Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the country in 2018.

For its part, the US last year hosted the first ever US-Pacific Island summit in Washington, DC, an event attended by Marape and other Pacific Island Forum leaders. The Biden administration has also sought to re-up security agreements with an array of Pacific island nations.

(With inputs from agencies)

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