US gets ‘unrestricted’ access to Papua New Guinea military bases to blunt China’s Pacific influence
- Washington will be able to station troops and vessels at key airports and naval bases as part of the new security pact
- But the agreement has faced criticism, with some opponents questioning whether the Pacific nation was signing away its sovereignty
The US military will be able to operate out of bases in Papua New Guinea, according to the text of 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 AFP, shedding light on details that have been closely guarded since the pact was signed in May.
With Papua New Guinea’s agreement, the United States will be able to station troops and vessels at key airports, as well as sites such as the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island and a seaport in the capital Port Moresby.
Washington would have “unimpeded access” to the sites to “preposition equipment, supplies and materiel”, and have “exclusive use” of some base zones where “construction activities” could be carried out.
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.
