The US military can develop and operate out of bases in Papua New Guinea, according to a landmark security pact that is part of Washington’s efforts to outflank China in the Pacific.
The full text of the deal was tabled in Papua New Guinea’s parliament on Wednesday evening and obtained by Agence France-Presse, shedding light on details that have been closely guarded since the pact was signed last month.
With Papua New Guinea’s agreement, the US would be able to station troops and vessels at six key ports and airports, including Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island and facilities in the capital, Port Moresby.
Photo: AFP
Washington would have “unimpeded access” to the sites to “pre-position equipment, supplies and materiel,” and have “exclusive use” of some base zones, where development and “construction activities” could be carried out.
The agreement opens the door to Washington establishing a new military footprint in the western Pacific, at a time of growing rivalry with Beijing.
Access to Lombrum could be used to reinforce US facilities on Guam to the north, which could be key in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.
Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape has been forced to defend the deal against a wave of protests and criticism, with some opponents questioning whether Papua New Guinea was signing away its sovereignty.
“We have allowed our military to be eroded in the last 48 years,” he told parliament on Wednesday evening. “Sovereignty is defined by the robustness and strength of your military.”
Washington is trying to woo Pacific nations with an array of diplomatic and financial incentives in return for strategic support, after similar moves by Beijing.
The Pacific island nation of Palau has asked the US to step up patrols of its waters after several incursions by Chinese vessels into its exclusive economic zone, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr told Reuters in an interview in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Whipps said he would also welcome a bigger US military presence in the country, with troops stationed alongside existing coast guard and civil action teams.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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