U.S. Beats China In Building Military Bases In Papua New Guinea

The United States will be able to station troops and ships at military bases in Papua New Guinea (PNG) under a new security deal that could be pivotal in a clash with China over Taiwan, Nicola Smith reported for The Telegraph.

Photo Insert: The deal was signed last month but details of its scope only emerged this week, revealing that US troops have been given “unimpeded access” to key local defense facilities.

The new defense cooperation agreement adds Papua New Guinea, which spans close to 180,000 square miles across the South Pacific, to a growing arc of regional alliances to counter China’s expanding military ambitions.

The 15-year pact was secured by Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, on a rare visit to Port Moresby that signaled the strategic importance of the Pacific nation, which is located just north of Australia and was the site of fierce battles during the World War II.

The deal was signed last month but details of its scope only emerged this week, revealing that US troops have been given “unimpeded access” to key local defense facilities that include the Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island, as well as airports in Port Moresby, Lae and Momote.

Washington would be allowed to use the sites to “pre-position equipment, supplies, and material”, and have “exclusive use” of some zones, where development and “construction activities” could be carried out, according to one document.

The deal also includes surveillance, reconnaissance activities, bunkering of vessels and the deploying of forces, reported Australia’s ABC.

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