US and Papua New Guinea to sign security pact
US and Papua New Guinea to sign security pact
2023-05-26
The United States and Papua New Guinea have agreed to sign a security pact, part of which is expected to give the United States vital access to the waters of the Pacific island nation. Voice of America’s Ahadian Utama reports from Port Moresby.
U.S. President Joe Biden has shifted attention to the Pacific over concerns about China’s increasing influence in the region, as Beijing has been giving diplomatic and financial assistance to some Pacific nations.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape says agreements with Washington that focus on defense cooperation and maritime matters will be formally signed after parliamentary approval.
James Marape
Papua New Guinea prime minister
Now we’re elevating to a specific defense cooperation agreement, something that is falling short of treaty. And so this has been an ongoing work for some time.
The defense and maritime agreements will allow the U.S. access to waters near the sea routes to Australia and Japan. In return, Papua New Guinea will gain access to U.S. satellite surveillance.
James Marape
Papua New Guinea prime minister
With the U.S. Coast Guard, it now give us an opportune time to access — not just maritime access but satellite access — to illegal fishing, drug traffickers, illegal loggers.
Elias Wohengu, Papua New Guinea Foreign Affairs secretary, led the negotiations and says the pact will not prevent Papua New Guinea from engaging with other nations.
Elias Wohengu
Papua New Guinea foreign affairs secretary
We are within the ambit of the foreign policy expected of Papua New Guinea: friends to all, enemies to none. This agreement does not in any way preclude PNG from engaging with another nation in a future defense cooperation agreement.
Analysts say this pact will raise concerns over U.S.-China rivalry in the region and potentially put Pacific Island nations in the middle of U.S.-China tension. In 2022, the Solomon Islands agreed to sign a security pact with China.
Paul Barker
Institute of National Affairs
Obviously, there comes a point where one has to be careful if those different external players reach heightened levels of tension and PNG and its neighbors can be caught in the midst of it.
Ahadian Utama, VOA News, Papua New Guinea.
布局印太！ 美國與巴布亞紐幾內亞簽國防合作協議
2023-05-26
美國與巴布亞紐幾內亞簽署國防合作協議，未來，美國將被允許進入巴布亞紐幾內亞領海，來自美國之音的報導。
美國總統拜登開始將注意力轉移到太平洋地區，因為中國透過提供外交和財政援助，在太平洋島國的影響力日益增長。
巴布亞紐幾內亞總理馬拉普表示，在國會批准後，將與美方正式簽署著重於國防合作及海上事務的協議。
[[巴布亞紐幾內亞總理 馬拉普]]
“我們改進為一項具體的國防合作協議，這不是條約。這已經持續了一段時間”
這樣協議將允許美國航行於通往澳洲和日本附近的水域，巴布亞新幾內亞則將得到美國的衛星支援。
[[巴布亞紐幾內亞總理 馬拉普]]
“有了美國海岸防衛隊不僅是海上，還有衛星的幫助，我們就有機會接觸到非法捕魚、毒販和非法的伐木者。”
巴布亞紐幾內亞總理外長沃亨古表示，該協議不會阻止巴布亞新幾內亞與其他國家接觸。
[[巴布亞紐幾內亞總理外長 沃亨古]]
“巴布亞新幾內亞的外交政策，所有人都是朋友，沒有人是敵人。這項協議不影響我們未來與其他國家簽署國防合作協議”
美中在該地區的競爭關係，讓專家擔心這項協議帶來的影響，更可能將太平洋島國捲入美中的緊張局勢中。2022年，索羅門群島與中國簽署安全協議。
[[國家事務研究所 巴克]]
“很顯然地，大家要小心的是，如果這些不同的外來勢力關係更加緊張，巴布亞新幾內亞及其鄰國就很有可能會被捲入其中。”
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