WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s go to to Papua New Guinea will focus, partially, on detailed dialogue establishing a U.S. navy presence within the nation, based on consultants.
Underpinning the institution of a U.S. navy presence in PNG is the Defense Cooperation Agreement the 2 nations signed in May.
The Defense Cooperation Agreement ‘will kind the foundational framework for the 2 nations to reinforce bilateral safety cooperation’ and ‘enhance the capability of the Papua New Guinea Defense Force,’ stated an announcement launched by the Pentagon on Tuesday.
‘This is a serious step for each the United States and Papua New Guinea,’ stated Zack Cooper, former particular assistant to the principal deputy undersecretary of protection for coverage throughout the George W. Bush administration and now a senior fellow on the American Enterprise Institute.
‘U.S. officers know that they should have entry to extra amenities within the Indo-Pacific area, however most of that entry has been restricted to present U.S. treaty allies and a restricted set of long-standing partnerships. Papua New Guinea is the primary main new entry level for the United States in years,’ Cooper informed VOA Korean through electronic mail.
‘Defense Secretary Austin’s journey is prone to concentrate on the main points and implementation, in addition to offering a visual indication of rising U.S.-PNG ties,’ stated Terence Roehrig, professor of nationwide safety affairs on the U.S. Naval War College.
‘His go to may even seemingly search to allay any considerations in Papua New Guinea that it will result in a everlasting U.S. base and someway infringe on the nation’s sovereignty, an essential concern for the reason that settlement has but to be ratified within the PNG parliament,’ he informed VOA’s Korean Service through electronic mail.
The protection settlement shall be launched formally after the PNG parliament ratifies it as anticipated in August. It will enable the U.S. to station troops and vessels at six websites together with Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island, based on Agence France-Presse, which obtained a replica of the settlement.
‘These six websites are helpful for each air and naval forces, that are each crucial within the massive expanses throughout the Pacific,’ stated Cooper. ‘For Papua New Guinea, I feel it will open up new prospects when it comes to not solely safety cooperation but additionally financial help. This journey will assist solidify these preparations.’
FILE – Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape speaks at a press convention in Port Moresby on July 5, 2023.
Experts stated Austin’s go to that includes discussions with PNG Prime Minister James Marape and his high protection officers is essential because the area has grow to be one other theater of U.S.-China rivalry.
Dennis Wilder, who served because the National Security Council director for China from 2004-05, informed VOA’s Korean Service through electronic mail that Austin’s journey ‘demonstrates that the area is a precedence and that the United States will make appreciable efforts to counter China’s makes an attempt to carry the area into its sphere of affect’ whereas the safety pact ‘strengthens the U.S. footprint within the western Pacific.’
Roehrig stated the U.S. ties with PNG are essential ‘to maintain tempo with Beijing’s presence within the South Pacific” and to “guarantee regional entry.’
Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, informed VOA’s Korean Service through electronic mail Tuesday that China is ‘not against nations’ efforts to develop ties with Papua New Guinea and different Pacific Island nations.’
West Papua, New Guinea
‘We all the time advocate,’ he continued, that the worldwide neighborhood to offer ‘extra consideration and assist’ to island nations and that ‘the negotiation and signing of any cooperation doc ought to assist understand this purpose.’
He added, nonetheless, that “we should be on alert particularly for geopolitical games under the pretext of cooperation” and that “any cooperation should not target at any third country.”
For China, the area is the so-called Air Silk Road, an essential a part of its Belt and Road Initiative that seeks to attach Asia and Central and South America by Pacific Island nations.
According to Bruce Bennett, a senior protection analyst on the RAND Corporation analysis middle, along with the primary island-chain, which incorporates Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia, China has been looking for to exert its dominance over the second island-chain comprising nations within the South Pacific reminiscent of Palau, Solomon Islands and PNG.
‘China has this notion of the primary island chain that they completely need to management, and a second island chain, which the Solomons might be a part of, the place it might set up fairly vital management,’ stated Bennett in a phone interview. ‘The U.S. does not need China to get there.’
According to the Australian Institute of International Affairs, the primary chain contains the Kuril Islands, the primary Japanese archipelago, Okinawa, the northern a part of the Philippines archipelago, the Malay Peninsula and Taiwan. The second consists of the islands of Japan stretching to Guam and the islands of Micronesia.
China reached a safety settlement with the Solomon Islands in April 2022. The safety settlement permits China to ship ships to the islands to ‘perform logistical alternative’ in addition to navy forces to ‘defend the security of Chinese personnel and main tasks.’
Cooper stated: ‘China will most likely step up efforts in Solomon Islands and different places in response, so American leaders and their counterparts will need to watch carefully to see what Beijing may do within the coming weeks and months.’